Tuesday, 27 May 2025

Ministers statements: TAFE sector

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:17): This is another budget that boosts free TAFE. It provides an additional $459 million to ensure Victorians can access the training they need for reliable jobs that lead to rewarding careers. This investment brings the Victorian government’s total investment to over $16 billion in new and base funding in TAFE and the skills system. We have rebuilt our TAFEs and restored confidence in our VET system, because only with our public TAFE at the heart of the system can we deliver the pipeline of skilled workers that our economy needs. We know new federal Liberal leader Sussan Ley’s view of free TAFE. I quote:

… if you don’t pay for something, you don’t value it.

Voters delivered the message loud and clear: we value free TAFE, and free TAFE is here to stay. This budget delivers $171 million to boost free TAFE and training services; $121 million to support TAFE students to complete their studies and access job opportunities; $44 million to help more students at Learn Locals and TAFEs access literacy and numeracy programs, programs that we know improve completion rates for other TAFE qualifications; and $23 million to strengthen the apprenticeship system, including continuing to deliver our commitments to the apprenticeships taskforce, just to name a few of the measures included in this budget.

Those opposite should learn the lesson from their federal counterparts that the public does indeed value free TAFE. Already over 200,000 Victorians have enrolled in free TAFE and saved, on average, $3000 per course. Only Labor can be trusted to invest in training to deliver rewarding careers for all Victorians, and Australians know that.