MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:16): On Monday morning I had the great pleasure to officially open the shared space community centre at Olivine Place, Donnybrook, the first-ever growth area social planning tool partnership in Australia. Olivine Place is such an amazing place. I would encourage anyone to go there. But it is much more than just bricks and mortar. It is about people, industry-linked training, jobs and a future for a new, vibrant and growing community of Melbourne.
The City of Whittlesea, developer Mirvac, construction company Winslow and Preston Reservoir Adult Community Education all joined forces to ask the local community what kind of adult education they wanted and needed, and then they set about delivering it. Together they looked at the local employment opportunities and designed training to support the skill shortages in the area and the goals of the community. This is what true skills and training partnerships are all about. PRACE will be delivering a suite of foundation skills at the centre in addition to a pilot course that has been especially designed to deliver the construction skills needed in the growing area, where it is projected 500 jobs will be created. This pilot course is supported by the Adult, Community and Further Education Board’s Just in Time grant program. What is important is that this course also leads to pathways from certificate II in civil construction.
This partnership between industry and Learn Locals closes the loop to provide real local employment opportunities. I am proud that the Andrews Labor government recognises the importance of adult community-based education and training and works with communities and industry to achieve real goals which are an investment in our social and economic future.