TAFE fees force student numbers to 'fall'

Prospective TAFE students have backed a State Opposition campaign against increases to TAFE fees, with some saying they had to reconsider their course or postpone their studies because of costs.

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan and shadow training minister Fran Logan launched the TAFE skills jobs campaign yesterday, claiming that fee increases of up to 515 per cent since 2013 had caused the number of people enrolling to fall.

Mr McGowan has proposed reinstating the fee caps on the cost of apprenticeships and traineeships, which were removed for the first time this semester.

"With an increasing number of unemployed West Australians, it is vital people have the opportunity to retrain and reskill," he said.

Warwick student Jess Calder, 18, said she had intended to enrol in a Diploma of Youth Work but after finding out the three-semester course would cost her more than $20,000, she chose to do the lesser one-semester Certificate IV instead.

Ms Calder said some of her friends had abandoned their plans of studying at TAFE because of the high costs and were now working full-time at supermarkets and retail outlets.

"I was quite blown away when I asked the lady when I was enrolling how much it cost and she said $6800 a semester," Ms Calder said.

"The cost now is only around $6000. It's still expensive but better than paying $20,000."

Training Minister Liza Harvey said Future Skills WA was designed to encourage students to undertake training in areas that would lead to jobs, and data reported last year showed an increase in enrolments in priority training areas.