Australian Labor Party Leader Anthony Albanese announced on Dec. 5 that Australians studying in an industry with a skills shortage will be supported through free TAFE under its $1.2 billion (US$840 million) tertiary education funding election promise. Labor’s Future Made in Australia Skills Plan aims to provide Australians free access to TAFE, create more university places, and address the skill shortages restraining the recovery from COVID-19. The plan intends to provide 465,000 free TAFE places and improve IT facilities, workshops, and laboratories under its $50 million (US$35 million) TAFE Technology Fund. Albanese also said Labor would ensure that at least 70 percent of Commonwealth vocational education funding will be for TAFE. Further, Labor promised to create up to 20,000 new university places to help address skill shortages in engineering, nursing, tech, and teaching. Priority for the places will be given to Indigenous Australians and people who live in regional, remote, …