THE number of students studying at the Alexandra Hills TAFE college has grown 96 per cent since the 2014-15 financial years.
Since mid-2015 numbers have increased to 1299, with about 726 taking part in trades-related courses.
Capalaba MP Don Brown said student enrolments were surging after a wind-back at the facility under the Newman government.
“I remember visiting the Alex Hills campus soon after the 2015 election,” Mr Brown said. “Windows were boarded up, tools were unused in locked classrooms and the three remaining TAFE SkillsTech staff were preparing to be made redundant.
“The number of competencies (skills standard) undertaken on site has increased around 175 per cent to more than 6900.
“...As a result of the increased activity there are now more than 20 new SkillsTech staff delivering a wide range of qualifications across various trades.”
“...The LNP have no plan for training and skills in the Redlands, and they need to spell out exactly what their policy is. Will they simply go back to their old ways and force students out of the Redlands to undergo training?”
Redland MP Matt McEachan said the LNP had released a “get Queensland working” policy to create up to 20,000 jobs for young people by offering financial incentives for businesses to take on apprentices, workers compensation discounts for employers who take on unemployed bayside locals and vouchers for young tradies to buy their tools.
He said youth unemployment in Brisbane east and the Redlands had sky-rocketed to 19.2 per cent under the Labor government, an increase of more than 4 per cent in the past year alone.
“That’s all down to the Palaszczuk Government’s failure to create jobs and opportunities for young people in the bayside suburbs,” he said.
“Training is one thing, having a job to go to when you’re finished is another and Labor’s do-nothing approach to government isn’t creating jobs at the other end for our desperate young people.”
Mr McEachan did not respond to questions regarding the former LNP government cutting TAFE staff numbers.
Mr Brown said he wanted to see trades training continue to expand at Alexandra Hills.
