Tamworth Labor MLC Daniel Mookhey blames New England unemployment on National's TAFE funding

The unemployment rate for young people in New England has risen to 17.5 per cent, Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows.

“The thousands of people in New England who’ve lost a job these past 12 months are entitled to think the government has stopped listening to them,” Tamworth MLC Mr Mookhey said.

“How else do you interpret the lectures from Gladys Berijiklian and John Barilaro about how the economy is going gangbusters? Their message is: this is as good as it gets.”

Almost 2900 young people are looking for work, up from 2038 a year ago, and Mr Mookhey blames inadequate funding for TAFE and dodgy private training providers. But, under the Coalition TAFE receives 77.3 per cent of the states skills budget, Labor’s minimum guarantee is 70 per cent of the budget.

And the state government will hire an additional 15 teachers in Tamworth and four in Armidale.

The news comes after Tamworth was named among the top ten regional postcodes for shonky VET providers last month, with 160 students unknowingly swindled. 

Documents revealed by a state opposition freedom of information request showed 46 private providers were fired for using unqualified teachers, insolvency and incorrect training tools.

The Leader contacted Minister responsible for TAFE Adam Marshall who declined to comment.