Thursday, 2 May 2024

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Vocational education and training

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:00): (509) My question is to the Minister for Skills and TAFE. Minister, RTOs like Complete Lean Solutions were contracted by Skills First for an allocation of 500 annual places to provide accredited training in two certificate IV level qualifications. Despite high demand, however, they have had their allocations slashed by 92 per cent to just 40 places in 2024 without any notice or explanation. Why?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:00): I thank the member for his question. I actually did not catch the name of the RTO.

The PRESIDENT: Would you mind repeating that, Mr Mulholland?

Evan Mulholland: Complete Lean Solutions.

The PRESIDENT: Nothing to do with me.

Gayle TIERNEY: Can I thank the member for the question. The allocation of Skills First contracts is a matter for the department. It goes through a vigorous process with all the applicants, and there are a number of criteria that are used. What I could suggest to the member, though, is I am more than happy for him to provide that detail to me and I will seek to gain some information from the department as to what they have determined and the reasons why. When these situations have occurred in the past it has been pretty seamless in terms of those that have been awarded contracts and those that have not or have been reduced. There is always a logical reason for the decisions that are determined by the department.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:02): I would hope the minister would be able to provide that information or have that information somewhere, given that they wrote to the minister in December last year. Complete Lean Solutions is just one of many RTOs across Victoria who have had their allocations slashed. Why were they only told about this business-destroying news about a month before courses were to commence?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:02): Again I remind the member that this is a process that is undertaken by the department. In terms of those processes, it is important that the department actually undertakes those discussions. In terms of any company that writes to me in terms of these sorts of issues, I refer them back to the department to have those discussions. I would imagine that if this particular department had written to me and had undertaken those discussions, then they would have had an answer.