A Coalition government led by Peter Dutton would scrap fee-free TAFE after it was revealed just 13 per cent of students have completed their courses.
The initiative, which offers free vocational education and training, is costing taxpayers $1.5billion over four years.
Shadow Education Minister and Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson was recently captured slamming the scheme in a now-viral video.
While the caption stated viewers werent meant to see this, the comments were made at a public Geelong Chamber of Commerce Forum on Monday.
The free TAFE policy has cost the country $1.5billion dollars, she said.
It just is not working.
The Coalition has been opposed to the policy since its inception, voting against legislation to extend the program during the final parliamentary sitting before the election was called, arguing the low completion rate undermines its effectiveness.
It comes after worrying statistics revealed just 13 per cent of TAFE students have completed their courses, around 100,000 out of the 600,000 who enrolled.
The Coalition says the 13 per cent completion rate of fee-free TAFE is not value for taxpayers (pictured, Mr Dutton and his son Harry at a FoodBank depot)
Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley came under fire from Labor after claiming, If you dont pay for something, you dont value it.
Defending her comments, Ms Ley clarified, Calling a policy or service "free" doesnt make it free... free TAFE isnt free. We have all paid for it.
She said a TAFE-only approach had made it harder for tradies, saying its part of of why weve lost 80,000 apprentices and trainees since [Labor] took office.
While we dont know how many Australians have dropped out of the Free TAFE program, we do know that just 13 per cent of courses have been completed successfully, a Liberal party spokesperson told the Daily Mail Australia.
We can do better than Labors Free TAFE program and under a Dutton Coalition Government we will do better.
But Labor has hit back, warning TAFE would be just the first of numerous programs to be slashed if Mr Dutton was elected Prime Minister.
This not the only thing they will cut. As sure as night follows day, if they win the election they will cut funding to public schools as well. There is no other way Peter Dutton can pay for his $600billion nuclear reactor, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare told news.com.au.
We need more Aussies to finish school and get the skills they need to do these jobs. Thats why this is important. Free TAFE is part of that.
Worrying statistics revealed just 13 per cent of TAFE students have completed their courses, around 100,000 out of the 600,000 who enrolled (stock)
Of the 600,000 Australians who have enrolled in fee-free TAFE, 170,000 are young people, 124,000 are Job Seekers, and 30,000 are First Nations Australians.
Women have taken up more than six in ten of the available places, while one in three students come from regional and remote communities.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described fee-free TAFE as a gateway to opportunity Free TAFE opens doors and gives Australians one of the greatest opportunities they have, not just to fulfil their potential, but expand it.