SPECIAL BULLETIN - BUDGET 2008

$11 billion win for TAFE - TDA lobby success with Education Investment Fund

TAFE has taken centre stage in Budget 2008 with the announcement of an $11 billion Education Investment Fund, for TAFE and VET special projects. The Fund would be established from the next two financial years' Budget surpluses.

The 'Big Win' for TAFE Institutes follows intensive advocacy by TAFE Directors Australia, with its 'Australian e-TAFE' briefings to Labor Ministers, MPs and Senators -- geared to strengthen support flagged at a Directors' Retreat at the 2007 TDA National Convention in Melbourne, to widen the $6 billion Higher Education Endowment Fund to TAFE Institutes.

The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Julia Gillard MP, briefed TDA and education peak stakeholders in a special pre-Budget 2008 lock-up in Canberra. 

And Deputy PM Gillard paid special tribute to TAFE in answer to a question from TDA on the Fund. 

Ms Gillard told Martin Riordan, TDA CEO, the $11 billion Fund would be an essential element to a new drive on skills and national productivity. She added: "We are determined to proceed with a national vision for TAFE and VET in this country, to support the productivity growth required for the Australian economy."

Minister Gillard said national consultations would be held to work out the operations of the new Fund, and a new advisory board would succeed the HE Endowment board - appointed to lead the initiative.

Federal DEEWR officials confirmed the $11 billion Education Investment Fund would likely focus on key TAFE infrastructure, and special projects, however the current HE Endowment Fund rules may be a guide to operations for infrastructure renewal.

Ms. Gillard added that the Commonwealth would make a special effort to negotiate with states and territories, to ensure the Fund would be additional to current infrastructure support from STAs. 

"This 'additionality' will be an important issue," she told the briefing.

Budget 2008 also provided for more than $500M this financial year to boost infrastructure in category A and B higher education (university) providers. 

Click here for the TDA media release welcoming the Fund. 

Click here to see the TDA Budget submission.

Deputy Prime Minister's Media Statement - Education Revolution

Click here for the Deputy PM's media statement on Budget 2008.

Click here for the Budget Portfolio Statements, including detailed costings. 

Record skilled migration program to boost economy

The Budget included measures to add 31,000 skilled migrants to the 2008-09 Migration Program.

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, said the extra places allocated to the permanent skilled migration program represented a 30 per cent increase on 2007-08 when the Howard government added just 5000 places. 

Click here for the statement