Australia is suffering an "apprenticeship crisis", Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has declared in his home state of Victoria where state Labor has pledged more than $170 million for free training.
Two in every three dollars of vocational educational spending would go toward public TAFE under a federal Labor government, Mr Shorten said.
"There is a real apprenticeship crisis in Australia," he told reporters in Melbourne on Friday.
"Since the coalition got elected five years ago, there are about 140,000 fewer apprentices.This is a disaster."
Mr Shorten said the pendulum had swung too far toward privatisation, with "scandal after rort after dodgy outcome".
His comments come days after a state skills drive was outlined by the Victorian government in its 2018/19 budget.
The election year financial plan unveiled on Tuesday includes $172 million for almost 50 free TAFE and pre-apprenticeship training courses to help alleviate a skills shortage.
The 30 trade and 18 pre-apprenticeship courses have been chosen because they would help to build Victoria's infrastructure, respond to family violence and care for the elderly and disabled.
