The Trades Support Loans Amendment Bill was in the Reps yesterday – it might matter more than it sounds

For those who, (like CMM), have missed this one, the bill extends income contingent loans, now for apprentices and trainees in listed technician and trade occupations to other in-demand areas, aged care, disability care and childcare, get a mention.

“The indications are that, for women, especially unpaid placements as part of their nursing and teacher training, it can be particularly challenging, leading to what is being dubbed “placement poverty” as they’re forced to give up paid work to do their on-the-job training,” Zoe Daniel (Independent-Vic) said in the Reps yesterday.

Ms Daniel also announced, “I also understand that this legislation has attracted the attention of the education minister, who is interested in seeing whether it can be applied to other areas of higher education beyond the vocational education and training sector.”

Gosh, now where could any such interest lead?

How about straight to the O’Kane Accord? In the discussion paper for it Professor O’Kane and colleagues suggested, “there may be opportunities to expand the use of placements, internships and other forms of (work integrated learning), in particular into fields and occupations where this is less common, such as the not-for-profit sector. … WIL can be a particular problem for students from regional, rural and remote areas.”