Tuesday, 20 June 2023

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (12:26): I am proud of the investment that this government makes in training and skills in the agriculture industry. We understand how important agriculture is to Victorians. Our investment is guided by strong research and sector engagement. In 2021 I commissioned the Future of Agriculture Training Review to ensure we better meet the needs of the modern agriculture industry. I am pleased that this review led to the $15 million Agriculture TAFE and Training Fund, which is absolutely designed to train the agriculture workforce we need now and for the future.

This fund is supporting exceptional programs that will deliver the right skills for the many diverse disciplines needed by our world-class agriculture industry. Grants of up to $2 million were awarded across the state, including to SuniTAFE to increase the skilled workforce in protective cropping; South West TAFE’s Glenormiston campus for the new agriculture tech skills centre, which will ensure our producers of the future have access to the most up-to-date equipment and technologies; the Gordon TAFE to deliver ag tech skilled builders to bolster regional agribusiness capabilities; and support for the fantastic innovative agricultural training programs at Wodonga TAFE, GOTAFE and the Rural Industries Skill Training base at Hamilton, to name a few. We are making sure that the next generation of farmers have access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities so that they can respond to the ever-changing demands of agriculture. That is what we do: we invest in quality and we invest in the future.