Thursday, 17 October 2024

TAFE enrolments

Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:07): (695) My question is for the Minister for Skills and TAFE. Minister, recent data released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research revealed that TAFE program enrolment numbers fell yet again in 2023 and have been in decline since 2019. All other providers of VET – and I will spell it out: vocational education and training – courses in 2023, including at universities, schools –

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order! I cannot hear, so the minister probably cannot hear. Could you ask the question from the start. People, let him ask his question in silence.

Nick McGOWAN: My question is for the Minister for Skills and TAFE. Minister, recent data released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research revealed that TAFE program enrolment numbers fell yet again in 2023 and have been in decline since 2019. All other providers of VET – that is, vocational education and training – courses in 2023, including universities, schools, community education providers and private training providers, had substantial increases in their enrolments. Minister, why have TAFE program enrolments been in decline for the past four years?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:09): Again, I cannot help but say that those opposite do anything and everything to denigrate TAFE. It is in their DNA. They have not changed their spots; it is still the same. The fact of the matter is this: once again those opposite cherrypick data and make misleading claims to try and tear down our TAFE system, and what a surprise! To be clear, enrolments in TAFE are higher this year than they were –

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, question time is not an opportunity for the minister. It was a simple question asked by Mr McGowan. It is not an opportunity to attack the opposition, and I ask you to ask the minister to come back to the nub of the question.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister was about to go through and address the question.

Gayle TIERNEY: I thank the member for giving me the opportunity to repeat the last sentence prior to her point of order, and that is that, to be clear, enrolments in TAFE are higher this year than they were last year and have increased every year on year since COVID. This has driven free TAFE and our investments in our public TAFE system. Unlike those opposite, we support TAFE, and we remember what happened to TAFE when they were last in government. The fact of the matter is that in terms of government-funded students and courses, it is a reality that the NCVER total VET activity data includes both government-funded and fee-for-services-accredited VET training activity.

There are numbers here, so we need to be quite precise. NCVER data show that Victorian enrolments are up by 4.9 per cent compared to 2022. Victorian enrolment growth comprises 54 per cent international fee for service, 27 per cent fee-for-service training and 19 per cent government funded. Commencements were 10.8 per cent higher in 2023 compared to 2022, and this is likely to translate into a higher number of continuing students in 2024. Shorter form of delivery, measured by subject-only enrolments, grew by 13.8 per cent. Total student numbers were 10.6 per cent higher. We also have seen a 12.2 per cent increase in Indigenous students. There were 5 per cent more students with a disability, and female students increased by 9.1 per cent, which of course is partly due to this government’s expansion of the eligibility criteria for vocational education and training.

This is a government that is absolutely proud of its reform, proud of its interventions, proud to ensure that particularly those who are disadvantaged in the community have got the opportunity to participate, whilst the record of those opposite stands for itself. They continue to attack TAFE, and they refuse to acknowledge that public provision is incredibly important. We also have got – (Time expired)

Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:13): I thank the minister for her response. Minister, there are over 37,000 fewer TAFE program enrolments in 2023 than there were in 2019, when so-called free TAFE – or as I prefer to call it, taxpayer-funded TAFE – was introduced. Given the significant decrease in TAFE enrolments over the past four years –

Members interjecting.

Nick McGOWAN: The truth is always uncomfortable, isn’t it?

Members interjecting.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

Nick McGOWAN: They are very sensitive to this issue. Thank you, President. Yes, the government is very sensitive. They are very prickly this week, in fact. Nonetheless, given the significant decrease in TAFE enrolments over the past four years, Minister, can you guarantee that no TAFE facility will close?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:14): Again, it is cherrypicking and misleading the house. I will again give you some data that I have not provided as yet, and I will deal with it in terms of all government-funded training. The total number of students has increased by over –

Nick McGowan: On a point of order, President, on relevance, while I have no objection to the minister providing even the brief in full, that is fine, and the data, that is fine, the question was actually: can the minister guarantee that no TAFE facility will be closed? It was not about data.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister was relevant in the 19 seconds that she had to start her answer.

Gayle TIERNEY: I was also addressing the preamble, and I think given that I have only been on my feet for a couple of seconds I have that opportunity.

There was also a 20 per cent increase in commencements in reskilling. In terms of continuing enrolments it was 8 per cent. TAFE and dual-sector delivery market share was nearly 60 per cent. There was a 15 per cent increase in Indigenous students, over 8 per cent for students with a disability and over 9 per cent for women.

In terms of TAFEs, let me say there have been at least 34 improvements or new TAFEs in this state.

Ann-Marie Hermans: On a point of order, President, this is a yes or no question, and with only 4 seconds to go I would ask that the minister address the question with the answer of either yes or no.

The PRESIDENT: There are a number of previous rulings from previous presidents that the President cannot insist a minister answer a question in a way the person asking it would like them to.

Gayle TIERNEY: I remind the house that I have just recently announced two brand new campuses, Melton and Sunbury.