Wednesday, 21 June 2023

Chisholm Institute of TAFE

Report 2022

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:26 ): I am pleased to speak on the Chisholm Institute annual report 2022. Such an optimistic and broadly positive report from the Chisholm Institute is good to see. These achievements translate to more people getting essential and valuable skills that will allow them to work in their desired fields. It also means that graduates in critical areas will provide the skills that our economy and our communities need. Most of the Chisholm Institute’s campuses are in my electorate of the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region: Springvale, Dandenong, Berwick, Cranbourne and Frankston. Thousands of students attend TAFE at Chisholm on these five campuses, many if not most of whom are from the south-east. TAFE students receive the training and skills that set them up for success. In addition, many TAFE students receive training in high-demand sectors where their contributions will benefit our local communities, service delivery and the economy.

The Andrews Labor government has transformed training and TAFE throughout the last nine years. The record investment in TAFE is in stark contrast to the four years of cuts under the coalition. The government’s free TAFE initiative has provided access to priority training and vocational education for more than 137,000 students in Victoria, saving them more than $340 million in student fees. Removing the barriers to training enables more Victorians to get the skills needed to build our state. Free TAFE has changed lives since it was established in 2019, and it is ensuring that we meet the skills and workforce needs of the future in areas such as nursing, construction and early childhood education. I know education is particularly exciting to you, Mr McCracken. There has never been a better time to train for a job, with an expansion of the Victorian government’s free TAFE initiative putting more courses at people’s fingertips than ever before. Free TAFE has increased access for women, unemployed people and students with a disability. Everyone has the right to access training that leads to a good job and a great career.

The Chisholm Institute is delivering various subsidised and free TAFE courses as part of its program. Students across the south-east have benefited from the transformational initiatives of the Andrews Labor government. These courses include but are not limited to early childhood education and care as I mentioned, hospitality, ageing support, home and community care, information technology, allied health assistance, building and construction, mental health, plumbing and services, youth work and nursing. These are skills that are in demand across Victoria and in my patch of the south-east. Providing greater access to education in these job-ready, critical and highly beneficial sectors is a crucial objective of the Andrews Labor government in creating the free TAFE program.

One cannot discuss the report on the Chisholm Institute of TAFE without discussing the funding support the Andrews Labor government has provided to help campuses in the south-east deliver on the objectives set out in this report. $10 million has been invested towards the health training facility at the Chisholm Institute Berwick campus, which features nurse training and simulation laboratories, learning areas and staff accommodation to help meet the growing demand for skilled health workers in Melbourne’s south-east. $67.6 million has also been invested in delivering stage 2 of the redevelopment project for the Chisholm TAFE Frankston campus, providing students with a new, modern, cutting-edge, multilevel training facility.

I am glad to see the contributions that free TAFE and the funding to deliver new facilities are making towards student success at the Chisholm Institute, and I congratulate all their graduates. The Andrews Labor government is supporting students across the south-east to get the skills they need for the jobs they want.