Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (13:51): I rise to acknowledge our hardworking apprentices and trainees. Last week, with the member for Broadmeadows Kathleen Matthews-Ward, I celebrated National Apprenticeship Week at Kangan TAFE in Broadmeadows. Victoria’s apprentices and trainees are building our homes, powering our industries and shaping our state’s future, and only a Labor government will deliver the support they need. Five years ago Labor established Apprenticeships Victoria. In this time we have supported tens of thousands of Victorians to commence and complete their training. TAFE has now trained more than 70 per cent of Victoria’s apprentices, and this deep connection has only improved with the establishment of Apprenticeships Victoria. Labor has restored trade papers, scrapped by the coalition, which recognise achievements and encourage completions. Since 2019 we have issued 50,000 trade papers. We have also established the apprenticeship support officers program, the Apprentice Helpdesk and an apprentice employee assistance program to ensure apprentices receive the guidance and support they need. Our Apprenticeships Taskforce is driving further reforms, with more support to come.
I am pleased to confirm the free TAFE program is now supporting apprentices across the whole TAFE network via the free TAFE literacy, numeracy and digital support course. This new free course is equipping apprentices with the foundation reading, writing, arithmetic and computer skills they need to become fully qualified. This apprenticeship week I thank all of our apprentices, trainees, apprentice employers, trainers, TAFEs and group training organisations for the important role that they play in our economy. Labor will always back apprentices and our high-quality apprenticeship system, and we will always back TAFE and free TAFE, which is why we are legislating free TAFE into law.