Yan Yean electorate
Lauren KATHAGE (Yan Yean) (14:53): (557) My question is to the Minister for Skills and TAFE in the other place, and I ask: how many constituents in my electorate of Yan Yean have accessed free TAFE since it started five years ago? We know that since 2014 the government’s investment in VET and TAFE has increased by 48 per cent, which is well above the national average of 27 per cent, and some 157,500 students have had the chance to get the skills they need for the jobs that they want, all the while saving in total $436 million in fees. This is important to me for the people of my electorate because on average a free TAFE student saves over $10,000 in tuition fees on a full education, with some students saving more than $30,000. I ask the minister: how many people in my electorate have managed to save through this initiative?