Wednesday, 4 February 2026

 Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:30): My question is for the minister for training and skills. Under the Allan Labor government’s policy to cut funding to registered training organisations during the skills shortage, Training & Quality Management Services – a meat processing, smallgoods and food safety compliance training organisation of 27 years – had their 2026 funding placements cut by more than 50 per cent just before Christmas. That is despite successfully supporting and training a large number of workers from vulnerable and CALD communities, including migrants and refugees. Why is it the Labor government policy to cut training without notice for organisations like Training & Quality Management Services, harming the very people from vulnerable and CALD communities that need access to these services?

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:31): Again, this is a question about the Skills First contract arrangements that the department has with providers. The department is informed by the Victorian Skills Authority, which is the umbrella for the industry consultations that occur. There are a number of industry advisory groups that are connected to the Victorian Skills Authority. It is then coupled with data that is collected in the state but also with regard to what is happening nationally. From there it is determined how the Skills First moneys are allocated. The key consideration in all of this is to ensure that the contracts are consistent with government priorities, and that is exactly what has happened. If there are issues that a particular company has or that an industry has, I will repeat what I have said before: please make contact with the Victorian Skills Authority so that there can be a conversation about what has happened in the first place, so that we can have established facts connected to whatever the issue may be and then there can be also a conversation to take the issue forward.

 Richard WELCH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:33): It is hard to have a conversation when you do not get any notice of the change. The consequence for this vulnerable cohort of workers is they will lose training access to safe knife and machinery use, WHS requirements, hygiene and allergen controls, food safety standards and product specifications, which may impact their ability to retain their job and increases their risk of injury at work. Will the minister commit to reversing these harsh training cuts?

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:33): I do not know which assertion to tackle first, because that was a question full of absolute assertions. Again, I implore the member to properly advise the constituent or the organisation that he is talking with to contact the Victorian Skills Authority and to talk through the issues. The fact of the matter is that what we are delivering is government priorities, and this is government-subsidised training on top of the free TAFE program that this government provides. We are very much interested in making sure that CALD individuals and cohorts are very much part of our program, and that is why we have seen record numbers of people from CALD backgrounds participating in the free TAFE program. So please, can I implore you, in terms of the genuine nature of this issue, if it is to be genuinely dealt with then you need to genuinely make contact with the Victorian Skills Authority and the industry advisory group that advises the VSA.