Wednesday, 25 May 2022

Ministers statements: vocational education and training

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:05): I am very pleased to update the house on work that the government is doing to make sure that every Victorian can get the skills they need for the job they want. That is very important, and of course that was not always the case, when we had TAFE smashed to smithereens. I wonder who might have done that—no-one sitting on this side. We know that vocational education and training is absolutely critical and apprenticeship pathways are an important part of that. It is not just about saving TAFE, making TAFE free, making it better than ever; it is also about making sure that there are employment opportunities and pathways as well. Our Big Build projects are worthy in and of themselves. They are transforming our city and our state, they are creating jobs, but they are also embedding skills that workers will carry with them for a lifetime of productive contribution to our economy and to communities.

Last week we announced 300 new building and construction sector apprenticeships and traineeships through Jobs Victoria by mid-2023—

Mr Cheeseman: Jobs for young people.

Mr ANDREWS: Exactly. Jobs for people who are highly committed and passionate, the skills they need, making a contribution over their entire lifetime—a job and a career. It is absolutely fantastic. We met one such apprentice, Nadia, last week. She is studying for a certificate III in carpentry and working on the Victorian Heart Hospital project in Clayton. Whether it is TAFE, whether it is local procurement, whether it is the Big Build and the skills guarantee and the attainment embedded in those projects, we are backing every worker to make their full contribution.