Good thing the state does not describe itself as “the smart state” anymore

The Queensland budget reveals TAFE continues struggle, with funding down but staff and financial costs up.

Overall TAFE is expected to run a $38m deficit next year on $638m revenues – and that is with fees and charges budget to increase by $200m. Most of the hike is due to accounting changes but the government, is budgeting for revenue from a “targeted increase in training activity,” that, and a, “CPI price increase to cover some of TAFE Queensland’s annual wage indexation costs.”

Buried in the budget are:
* $5.5 million for a micro-credential pilot “to support industry-led skills development”

* a “higher level apprenticeship pilot for “layer” specialised skills and knowledge in apprenticeship mode, which sounds interesting but without allocated funding will only be that

The $70m innovation budget includes funds to,

* start work on an industry robotics cluster covering, mining, defence and environment

* appoint an entrepreneur in residence

* create the Advance Queensland Economic Council, “to oversee action and champion innovation”

* promote start-ups and SMEs to international investors