VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:04): I thank the member for his question, and I do find it really interesting that they have a play on words with ‘saving TAFE’ given that they shut down 22 campuses and they sacked over 2000 workers and TAFEs were just hanging in…

SEELEY INTERNATIONAL

TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:10): I thank the member for his question. Can I first state my disappointment and of course my heartfelt concerns for those workers and their families. As a past union secretary in an industry that was hit by job losses, I well…

MINISTERS STATEMENTS: HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENT SAFETY

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:06): Yesterday the results of Universities Australia’s 2021 National Student Safety Survey were released. It is deeply concerning and an indictment on our society that sexual harassment and gender discrimination still occur at universities throughout Australia. The results reinforce the distressing fact that students,…

MINISTERS STATEMENTS: VICTORIAN SKILLS AUTHORITY

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (15:21): Today I am proud to speak on the Victorian Skills Authority, which was established in July to build on this government’s significant achievements in skills and training and job creation. The VSA was a key recommendation of the Skills for Victoria’s Growing…

TAFE FUNDING

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (15:03) I thank Mr Meddick for his support of TAFE and free TAFE in particular. It is great to have genuine champions of the TAFE system in the chamber, Mr Meddick. Can I say that what is being proposed here has been based on a…

TAFE FUNDING

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (11:34): I do thank the member for his question and the opportunity to talk through the position of ambassador for TAFE. Of course I will continue to heavily promote TAFE. I do not think there could be any criticism whatsoever in terms of me…

TAFE FUNDING

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:25): I thank Dr Bach for his new interest in TAFE and the TAFE system. Members interjecting. Ms TIERNEY: Are we done? We are very supportive of TAFE. As you know, we have made record investments into the TAFE system, and of course our…

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE PROGRAMS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:00): I thank the member for his question. I am troubled by the cuts at universities in Victoria, whether they be course cuts or to funding to different organisations on campus and indeed of course staff cuts as well. Course cuts reduce the…

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE PROGRAMS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:04): Again I thank the member for his question. What I did in my substantive response was outline where the responsibilities lie in relation to the state and the commonwealth. What my question to you and your party is: what are you going…

APPRENTICESHIPS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:00): I thank the member for his question. Apprenticeships are incredibly important, and we know that right across the board. This has been the case and a very proud contribution that this government has made in respect to apprenticeships, and during my time…

APPRENTICESHIPS

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:04): Can I just correct the record? The fact of the matter is that the most recent National Centre for Vocational Education Research report shows that in the year to December 2019 there was a 7.3 per cent increase in construction trade apprenticeship completions…

TAFE COMPLETION RATES

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:17:19): What I can advise the house is that when I go around and visit TAFEs, which I do on a very regular basis, people advise me that their classrooms are full and that there is a real emphasis on completing their course…

TAFE COMPLETION RATES

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:14:41): This is sort of a re-run in terms of a matter that was before the media during the winter recess. Clearly the member still has not got the memo, and the memo is this: that the data is two years old. It…

TRAINING AND SKILLS FUNDING

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:08:36): I again thank the member for giving me an opportunity to talk about TAFE and free TAFE. I can say that I am a little bit surprised that Ms Wooldridge, who normally conducts herself, I think, in a very, very professional manner,…

TRAINING AND SKILLS FUNDING

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:05:39): I am aware of the comments made by the shadow minister, Tanya Plibersek, in relation to the underspend. It is very disappointing that that money was not spent in a way that was more targeted in areas where there are government priorities,…

MELTON TAFE FACILITY

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:33): I thank Dr Cumming for raising this question. The provision of post-school education in our suburbs and our regional towns and provision for our rural communities is incredibly important but particularly so in areas where we have high population growth. I can advise…

MELTON TAFE FACILITY

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:35): I thank Dr Cumming for her question again. The area of adult education is incredibly important and it is part of the post-school sector. I have had a lot of engagement in that sector in recent times. I called a summit of…

EDUCATION FUNDING

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:14:05): Thank you, and that is not what the budget paper says. In fact what we have is those on the opposite side being in absolute denial. They are the past masters of cuts. If you want to know about cuts, just go across…

EDUCATION FUNDING

MS TIERNEY (Western Victoria—Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education) (12:09:40): I am very pleased with the outcome for the skills and training, and higher education portfolios in last Monday’s budget. The fact of the matter is that there has been an additional $82 million provided in government-subsidised training. There is also an…