Thursday, 12 September 2024

Vocational education and training

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:18): (671) My question is to the Minister for Skills and TAFE. Minister, registered training organisation Complete Lean Solutions has been told by your department that, due to no demand, their funding for 2024–25 has been cut. At the same time the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) was told that Chisholm TAFE is now developing the same course program. If there is no demand, Minister, why is the same course being developed by Chisholm TAFE?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:18): I did not actually hear the first part of the question, what was the name of the company?

Evan Mulholland: Complete Lean Solutions.

Gayle TIERNEY: Thank you for the question. The fact of the matter is, as I have said on numerous occasions before this house, management of the contracts for Skills First is determined by the department. The Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions has got a particular section within the department, the skills and employment group, that deals with Skills First contracts. It then also of course liaises with the Victorian Skills Authority to have the data and the evidence in terms of what is required, what is needed in the labour market, what is not needed, what is popular, what is not popular and what is absolutely aligned with what industry needs. All I can say in respect to this is that I will take that on notice to find out exactly what has occurred on this occasion, but I do know that SEMMA has been meeting with the Victorian Skills Authority. The last I heard was that there had been constructive dialogue – not just dialogue – and there was the formulation of work that SEMMA and the VSA were working on to deliver what was required, at their request.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:20): I find it quite interesting, again, that it seems to be a department-oriented process. Minister, a letter sent to this RTO from your department refusing to reinstate their funded course allocation due to a lack of demand states:

I also acknowledge your previous correspondence to Minister Tierney’s chief of staff, who has reviewed and endorsed this response.

Minister, given your office is clearly involved with the decision to cut course funding from this registered training organisation but Chisholm TAFE is subsequently developing the same program, will you intervene to reinstate the funded allocations to the RTO originally delivering this program?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:21): Again, I will have a look at it because I think there might be some other elements to it. The other thing that I think those opposite – if they are quiet and want to hear the answer – might be particularly interested in is that you cannot expect government to pay for every single course that is delivered or needed. At certain points there need to be contributions by employer organisations and industry more generally. I think that this might have been a consideration of the VSA; it might have been a consideration of the department. I am not privy to those discussions, but I will endeavour to seek those answers.