Wednesday, 23 September 2026

 Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (19:00): (1849) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Education. The action I seek is for the minister to secure ongoing core funding of $10.85 million annually from 1 January 2027 through agreements of at least three years for Victoria’s 31 local learning and employment networks, with transition arrangements confirmed before existing funding expires. Recently the member for Nepean and I spoke with Angela Byatt, the executive officer of the Frankston Mornington Peninsula LLEN, about serious concerns for its future and the young people it supports. Angela and her team connect our schools with industry, employers, training providers and community services. They have relationships with every school across Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula and more than 1000 active employers. For a young person in Mornington, Mount Eliza, Mount Martha, Moorooduc, Tuerong or Baxter, those connections can mean finding work experience, discovering a trade or getting the support needed to stay engaged in education.

Their work also tackles practical barriers. The department appointed our local LLEN to lead statewide coordination of funding that helps students travel to vocational education classes. A training opportunity means little if a student cannot get there. The government is restructuring School to Workinto 17 delivery areas from next year. It says that this will expand access and improve support for disadvantaged students. However, the LLENs warn that the new arrangements leave their broader coordination role without core funding. It will also centralise currently localised services catered to different areas. Angela advises that our local LLEN did not tender because its work extends beyond the new program scope, and that applies to many other LLENs as well. Its value cannot be measured simply by counting individual placements. Someone must build employer relationships, identify gaps and bring schools, services and communities together. This is about connectivity, not simply numerical KPIs.

The statewide briefing warns that without core funding, at least 25 of Victoria’s 31 LLENs expect to close by the end of 2027. Others anticipate substantial staffing cuts or reduced capacity. That is a warning that the Labor government must take seriously. Once experienced staff leave and local partnerships unravel, decades of knowledge and trust cannot simply be recreated when another contract begins. Schools, employers and families are already planning for 2027. They need certainty now. I ask the minister to work with the Treasurer and relevant portfolios to fund this essential coordination, retain local governance, require public reporting of outcomes and resolve this before the caretaker period begins. Our young people deserve reliable support as they take their first steps towards working life. Minister, please secure this funding before the current agreements expire on 31 December.