Thursday, 2 May 2019

TAFE funding

Ms VAGHELA (Western Metropolitan) (17:47): My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Training and Skills. I am incredibly proud of our Labor government for investing over $172 million in the free TAFE initiative. Since the start of this year free TAFE has meant that thousands of people have started their journey to gain the skills they need for a good, sustainable job. Free TAFE for priority courses reduces the financial barriers for eligible students wanting to train in the courses that lead to the jobs that are most in demand from Victorian employers.

In my electorate of Western Metropolitan Region Labor’s free TAFE has created fantastic opportunities for my constituents. The Western Metropolitan Region has the fastest growing suburbs in the country, and access to free TAFE courses is helping meet the demands of the growing population. Many of my constituents have found their true calling through free TAFE. Some of the students will finish their qualification and work on the huge infrastructure projects in my electorate funded by the Andrews Labor government. But with the increase in students across our TAFE campuses there is also a need for more TAFE teachers at our TAFE institutes. Therefore the action I seek from the minister is for her to provide me with information and resources available to assist constituents in my electorate looking to become TAFE teachers.