Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Ministers statements: International Nurses Day

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:34): Yesterday was International Nurses Day, and I would like to thank our healthcare heroes, who contribute so much. Our world-class TAFEs and universities are training the next generation of nurses, from La Trobe University campuses in Shepparton and Mildura to our newly opened Health and Community Centre of Excellence at Kangan Institute’s Broadmeadows TAFE campus. Lee Tarlamis, a member for Southern Metropolitan, and I recently visited the health centre at Chisholm TAFE’s Berwick campus. Free TAFE students in the diploma of nursing are receiving hands-on learning at Chisholm TAFE’s new health centre in a state-of-the-art simulated hospital environment.

In Mildura I recently met Hannah, a free TAFE nursing student, who told me she had always wanted to be a nurse but wanted to wait for her three children to get a little bit older. In 2021 Hannah returned to study for the first time since 2006 at SuniTAFE in Mildura, studying a free TAFE diploma of nursing. I had the pleasure of meeting Hannah at her job in ward 2 at the Mildura base hospital – learning and earning. While working and caring for her three children, Hannah is now in her second year of La Trobe University’s registered nurse program.

Free TAFE is removing the financial stress of tuition fees for thousands of health students in Victoria. Nurses are an inspiration, and I am proud that our government is making it a little bit easier to become a nurse with free TAFE. The great work will continue with Minister Giles, the Commonwealth Minister for Skills and Training, and we look forward to building those education and training pathways for jobs for all Victorians.