Wednesday, 23 September 2026

 Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (20:36): (2837) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Skills and Training. For 25 years local learning and employment networks, or LLENs, have played an important role in helping young people move from education into employment. LLENs are place-based organisations that bring together schools, employers, training providers, community services and government to help young people stay engaged in learning, build their skills and find a pathway into work. One of the strengths of the network is its genuinely local knowledge. In regional Victoria that matters. Our rural communities are different. Young people can face different barriers, employers have different workforce needs, and services available in one community may not exist in another. LLENs have spent many years building the relationships and local knowledge needed to make those connections work. I understand that the current core funding arrangements end on 31 December this year, while procurement processes for future programs, including School to Work, are still underway. That uncertainty is concerning for organisations that need to plan, retain staff and maintain relationships with schools, employers and young people.

Across northern Victoria LLENs play an important role in supporting young people across our smaller, rural communities. The action I seek is for the minister to provide clarity about the future of this important capability, particularly across northern Victoria. I ask the minister: what is the government’s plan to retain the local relationships, employer connections and knowledge built through LLENs over the past 25 years and provide certainty for 2027 planning before the current funding ends? What evidence has informed changes to funding for the broader LLEN role, including whether the cost of losing and later rebuilding this capability has been assessed? And if this capability is lost, what mechanism will ensure local coordination, regional knowledge and connections between schools, employers, training providers, community services and government are maintained? Young people in regional Victoria need more than programs. They need people who understand their community and can help connect them with the right opportunities.