TAFE & Adult Provision A day to celebrate the vital role of TAFE
On 6 September, a delegation of TAFE teachers from around Australia attended Parliament House to meet with the federal minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor, independent MPs Drs Monique Ryan and Sophie Scamps, as well as members from the Greens hosted by Senator Dr Mehreen Faruqi.
There, AEU delegates outlined the current issues for TAFEs and TAFE teachers, attended question time and participated in the National TAFE Day Awards ceremony. These awards celebrated TAFE students who contributed to the national ‘Life on Campus’ photography competition.
While National TAFE Day is a day of celebration, it’s also a day of reflection and an opportunity to push for change.
The Victorian winner was Mei Khanh for her joyous photograph (above) capturing hospitality students and their teacher at work. Congratulations to Mei, whose photo offers a powerful snapshot of campus life. Her image adds to our appreciation of the vital role of Australian TAFEs in creating successful learners and skilled contributors to our society and economy.
The National TAFE Day Awards ceremony also involved a formal address from Brendan O’Connor, along with members of the Greens, and the CEO of TAFE Directors Australia, Jenny Dodd.
While National TAFE Day is a day of celebration, it’s also a day of reflection and an opportunity to push for change. We now wait to see if the politicians listened to our delegation of teachers and will take action on the many pressing issues currently facing our TAFE system.
