Tuesday, 31 March 2026

 Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:17): Victoria is leading the way in preparing workers for the digital, AI and technology industry of the future. Last week I visited Chisholm TAFE in Frankston to launch the Victorian Digital Skills Compact. Chisholm Frankston will be the home of the new $30 million national digital, AI and technology centre of excellence funded by the Allan and Albanese Labor governments. The event was a who’s who of the digital world, with over a dozen industry members signing the compact, including Microsoft, IBM, Commonwealth Bank and other leading companies. The compact was also signed by TAFEs and of course the Victorian TAFE Association.

By 2035 Victoria will need approximately 87,700 additional digital workers, and workers in all industries will need digital skills. The compact is a shared commitment between government, industry and training providers to open new doors to digital careers and strengthen the digital skills in our workforce. It has a focus on increasing opportunities for women, First Peoples, people with disability and regional Victorians. The industry will work with TAFEs and our adult community education sector to build and enhance the digital and artificial intelligence capabilities of teachers and students across TAFEs and Learn Locals. The response from industry has always been very, very positive. Microsoft’s John Galligan wrote to me afterwards saying how much he is looking forward to working closely with us and to translating the compact’s vision into meaningful, inclusive outcomes for Victoria – and I completely agree. TAFE is leading the way in preparing workers for the digital industry, and I thank the Victorian Skills Authority for bringing the industry together so that they can work on the common threads in the training of AI and digital workers for the future.