Thursday, 15 August 2024

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:37): Last week I had the pleasure of opening the TAFECreates conference at RMIT, celebrating the indispensable role of TAFEs in Victoria. For the first time the conference was hosted at one of our dual-sector institutions, RMIT University, and the Storey Hall setting was spectacular. The conference room was standing room only, full of leaders, educators and policymakers from across TAFEs and the dual-sector universities, all committed to ensuring we deliver the best possible vocational education for the future. Our TAFE network is on the balls of its feet to respond to the changing needs of students, industry and the economy. The conference served to leverage collective knowledge and enhance Victoria’s TAFEs to benefit students, industry and our communities. There was palpable excitement as the network considered the game changer presented by the National Skills Agreement to support Victorians to achieve their dreams. Our commitment to the TAFE network is why the Allan Labor government has invested over $4.6 billion since 2014 into training and skills. This includes $555 million through our most recent budget, which invested $394 million to boost access to free TAFE and training services. Since its inception in 2019, more than 175,000 students have benefited from free TAFE, saving over $503 million in tuition fees. As I have said to the leaders, teachers and professionals of our incredible TAFE network, together we are building a future where every Victorian has access to quality education and the opportunity to thrive. This is the vision and this is the reality that TAFE creates.