Tuesday, 9 September 2025

Ministers statements: Adult Learners Week

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:12): Last week was Adult Learners Week, a time to recognise the vital role of adult community and further education in our skills system. This sector builds foundational skills like literacy, numeracy, English language, digital literacy and job readiness that connect Victorians to further education and to employment. These courses are supported by the government and delivered through Learn Locals, organisations like neighbourhood houses and community hubs. I had the pleasure of visiting some of these fantastic community-led Learn Locals last week. I saw firsthand the fantastic training and learner engagement being done at Bridge Darebin in Preston and the Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association, or VACSAL, in Northcote, alongside local member Kat Theophanous.

Adult Learners Week was the perfect time to celebrate the achievements of the government’s Reconnect program. Reconnect funds TAFEs, Learn Locals and registered training organisations to provide one-on-one wraparound support services to learners so that they can finish their training and get into employment. I joined the member for Preston Nathan Lambert at Prace in Reservoir, where I saw firsthand the fantastic outcomes enabled by the Reconnect program. At Prace I met Christian, who told me how support through Reconnect had been vital in connecting him to employment, how Reconnect has helped put his life back on track. That is why I was proud to announce that the Allan Labor government is investing $48 million to extend Reconnect for another four years so that vital supports like counselling, housing support, mentoring and health services will continue to break the cycle of disadvantage. This is because this is Labor’s way.