Work is kicking off at the TAFE Caboolture campus to upgrade the health training facilities.

Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman visited the campus today and inspected the health training facilities.

“We want to make sure Queenslanders have access to world class training facilities,” Ms Fentiman said.

“The Palaszczuk Government is investing $700,000 to improve nursing and aged care clinical training spaces.”

“The modernisation of C block will involve a redesign of the nursing practical spaces to provide an extra five bed ward, a learning area, an observation and viewing room.

“The teaching space will simulate interactive mini hospital wards, similar to the upgrades approved for Pimlico, Toowoomba and Loganlea TAFE Queensland campuses in 2018-19.

“More than 800 students annually will benefit from the upgrade at the Caboolture campus which will also allow for new courses to be offered.

“The Jobs Queensland Anticipating Future Skills report showed health care and social assistance were the top industries predicted to grow with a 20% increase in nursing to 2022.

“And at the Caboolture campus, the Diploma of Nursing is the most popular course and there has been a 14% increase in enrolments in the past year.

“In December last year we doubled the subsidy for Diploma of Nursing to make it $4,000 cheaper for eligible students to gain this valuable qualification.

Member for Morayfield Mark Ryan welcomed the upgrades to the health training facilities for the Caboolture region.

“The upgrade will enhance the educational delivery of all of these courses through state-of-the-art equipment that mirrors hospital facilities,” Mr Ryan said.

“The upgrade will also assist with preparing a workforce for the roll out of the NDIS in the Caboolture area, which began in January this year.”

Federal Member for Longman Susan Lamb said a Shorten Labor Government will commit an additional $1 million to the Caboolture TAFE campus.

“We want Australians to have access to the best in training, especially for the jobs in the growing healthcare industry,” Ms Lamb said.

“The new training facilities and close proximity to the hospital will ensure students are skilled to fill the jobs of our growing health industry.

“Students will be job-ready and be a value to the local hospitals and beyond.

Ms Fentiman said the Palaszczuk Government is investing in TAFE and apprentices in Queensland.

“The Morrison Liberal National Government in Canberra have continued to build on their more than $3 billion in cuts to skills and training with their latest budget,” Ms Fentiman said.

“The Budget delivered $525 million with one hand, but snatched away $649 million with the other.”

“Scott Morrison’s so-called Skills Package was actually a cuts package of more than $120 million.

“We are going backwards in training in skills under the LNP at a time we should be surging forward.”

“LNP cuts are in stark contrast to Federal Labor, who will commit $1 billion towards TAFE and apprentices through 100,000 free TAFE places nationally, incentives for 150,000 additional apprentices and $200 million for TAFE infrastructure.

“This is a true partnership – something we never see from the LNP.”