Tuesday, 13 August 2019


Constituency questions

Pascoe Vale electorate


Pascoe Vale electorate

Ms BLANDTHORN (Pascoe Vale) (14:45): (871) My constituency question is for the Minister for Training and Skills, and my question is: how are people seeking asylum and refugees supported to access TAFE and training opportunities in Victoria, in particular members of my community? The Andrews Labor government understands the importance of a great education, and those of us on this side of the house recognise the need to invest and create education opportunities. Committing to the Education State is about ensuring that everyone is given the best opportunity in life and the chance to succeed. Recently I met with members of the Pascoe Vale and Glenroy community, in particular members of the local Iranian community, who spoke to me about the difficulties that can be experienced by newly arrived and multicultural communities in accessing training and education opportunities. Newly arrived refugees and asylum seekers often have complex needs in navigating life in Australia. Therefore I seek information on how we can make it easier for them to access training and education opportunities, particularly higher education opportunities.