Jeff Drayton commits to filling skill shortage created by sold or decommissioned TAFE campuses if elected

Candidate Jeff Drayton said Connected Learning Centres are no replacement for TAFEs, and it would be one of his priorities to fill the skill shortage that has been left by their absence.

Ensuring there are adequate training facilities in the electorate is a key issue and should be a given for any election hopeful according to Mr Drayton

"It's exactly what state government should be doing, it should be talking to communities, talking to local government, finding out where we're short and what skills we require," he said while standing outside the abandoned TAFE Quirindi grounds.

He said it was unfair that people are being made to travel large distances or even move in order to learn trades such as welding or plumbing.

The problem is then exaggerated for young people, who are unable to drive themselves to places such as Tamworth and do not have the financial security to move out of home.

A national shortage of skilled tradespeople is making the issue even more pertinent according to Labor.

Flanked by Shadow Minister for Skills and TAFE, Jihad Dib, Mr Drayton lamented the Nationals for privatising campuses across the state.

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Scone's was recently sold to Racing NSW for $4 million and Quirindi's, while not yet sold, has been out of use for several years.

The community has raised the possibility of using it as an aged care facility if it is sold off, however Mr Drayton said his preference would be to keep it and once again offer educational courses there.

"Our position is you've got to stop selling these government assets, and we had a number of community members saying 'why can't we use it for something' we don't want them to sell it off so why can't we use it," he said.

Quirindi was home to the state's first Connected Learning Centre, and while Labor is not opposed to them, it wants them to co-exist with TAFEs instead of replacing them.

Mr Dib believes the Coalition's push for more people to live in regional communities cannot be taken seriously while they are simultaneously "ripping out the opportunities" from rural towns.

"We keep telling people to move into the regions and it's so important because we want to revitalise the regions and yet what we're doing is ripping the heart of out the regions," he said.

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