TAFE funding
Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (13:49): (465) My question is to the Minister for Skills and TAFE. Why won’t the minister divulge the number of students who have completed a free TAFE course in the five years since the introduction of free TAFE?
Members interjecting.
Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (13:49): Yes, it is five years. It was ‘Happy birthday’ last parliamentary sitting week. I have received a number of questions, and I believe that I have answered these questions. The fact of the matter is, and I will repeat it again, that there have been completion rates that are 10 points above the national average in terms of certificate IV and diplomas. In terms of the completion rates that you continue to be obsessed with, they are in relation to certificates I and II. Again, for the sake of those that just are refusing to listen and to hear, the fact is that certificates I and II mainly deal with preapprenticeships to give kids an opportunity, a taste as to what it might be like if they did take that next step and undertake an apprenticeship. It is for things like English language –
Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, on relevance, the question was very narrow. The minister was asked how many completions there have been.
The PRESIDENT: I will bring the minister back to the question.
Gayle TIERNEY: Thank you. I believe I am answering this, because what the opposition is attempting to do is to conflate and mislead the house. What they are really wanting to do is to say that certificate I and II completions lead to jobs, and we have already said that that is not necessarily the case. What it does is it leads to further study. We are very proud of what we have been able to do in this area. 157,500 Victorians have enrolled in free TAFE, and we know that the completion rates, particularly at the higher end of the AQF level, have been very high and are in line with university retention rates.
Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (13:51): Is the minister refusing to provide the number of course completions because the numbers do not look good for the government and free TAFE?
Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (13:52): Absolutely not.