Smart and Skilled fee hikes risk driving up crime, new study shows
Submitted by NSW Teachers Federation on 27 July 2016
A new university study showing that crime decreases significantly when people have access to affordable vocational training has reinforced Federation’s protests against fee hikes forced on TAFE students by the Smart and Skilled policy.
The Baird government’s Smart and Skilled policy has made vocational education unaffordable for many students with NSW losing half its vocational students in the past three years, NSWTF Deputy Secretary (Post Schools) Maxine Sharkey said.
“Without gaining skills that could help them into employment these men and women risk being drawn into crime, a University of Melbourne report today says,” Ms Sharkey said.
“Working-age men and women desperately want to be employable but are being shut out of the job market because many can’t afford to take up TAFE courses any more. This has dreadful implications for their future.”
The Baird government is closing down TAFE colleges, cutting courses, increased fees and put more than 5000 TAFE teachers and support staff out of work – moves that cut right across good policy settings, the new report indicates.
“We found that for every extra dollar spent on VET, the community saved 18 cents in avoided crime costs, such as lost productivity, health and rehabilitation costs,” said the University of Melbourne’s report’s author, Dr Cain Polidano from the Melbourne Institute.
The crime rate, especially drug crime, decreases significantly when more 16-44 year olds have access to affordable vocational education and training, the report says.
The drug crime rate decreased 13 per cent when more people had access to a publicly-funded place in VET. The research also recorded a 5 per cent and 11 per cent decrease in personal and property crime respectively, including assault, theft and burglary.
“We already know that investment in vocational education has widespread economic benefits, including increased employment and earnings, but policy makers should take note of the flow-on savings for the justice and health systems,” Dr Polidano said.
The report, Vocational Education and Training: A Pathway to the Straight and Narrow, also found that increased VET participation reduces crime by more among mature-age groups (26-44) than among young people (16-25) because mature-age people are more likely to use opportunities in VET to find jobs.
The research cross-referenced 2010-2013 crime rates in NSW and Victoria, with VET participation rates.
Submitted by NSW Teachers Federation on 27 July 2016
A new university study showing that crime decreases significantly when people have access to affordable vocational training has reinforced Federation’s protests against fee hikes forced on TAFE students by the Smart and Skilled policy.
The Baird government’s Smart and Skilled policy has made vocational education unaffordable for many students with NSW losing half its vocational students in the past three years, NSWTF Deputy Secretary (Post Schools) Maxine Sharkey said.
“Without gaining skills that could help them into employment these men and women risk being drawn into crime, a University of Melbourne report today says,” Ms Sharkey said.
The Baird government is closing down TAFE colleges, cutting courses, increased fees and put more than 5000 TAFE teachers and support staff out of work – moves that cut right across good policy settings, the new report indicates.
“We found that for every extra dollar spent on VET, the community saved 18 cents in avoided crime costs, such as lost productivity, health and rehabilitation costs,” said the University of Melbourne’s report’s author, Dr Cain Polidano from the Melbourne Institute.
The crime rate, especially drug crime, decreases significantly when more 16-44 year olds have access to affordable vocational education and training, the report says.
The drug crime rate decreased 13 per cent when more people had access to a publicly-funded place in VET. The research also recorded a 5 per cent and 11 per cent decrease in personal and property crime respectively, including assault, theft and burglary.
“We already know that investment in vocational education has widespread economic benefits, including increased employment and earnings, but policy makers should take note of the flow-on savings for the justice and health systems,” Dr Polidano said.
The report, Vocational Education and Training: A Pathway to the Straight and Narrow, also found that increased VET participation reduces crime by more among mature-age groups (26-44) than among young people (16-25) because mature-age people are more likely to use opportunities in VET to find jobs.
The research cross-referenced 2010-2013 crime rates in NSW and Victoria, with VET participation rates.
No comments:
Post a Comment