Thursday, 28 November 2024

Skills shortages

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:31): My question is for the Minister for Skills and TAFE. The Labor government’s Victorian Skills Authority has stated that 373,000 more skilled workers are required across the state by 2025. That is in just over one month. At the current rate of course completions, how many skilled workers in Victoria fall short of this target under your so-called skills plan?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:32): There are a couple of things that I want to address. The first thing is that Victoria is not alone in terms of having skill shortages. Skill shortages are across all jurisdictions in a whole variety of industries, but it is not just even in Australia, it is also the case right across the world. So if people are thinking about just importing tradies from overseas, well, there are some difficulties there, because in those home countries they have the skill shortages as well.

The other point is that in terms of skills shortages and how we rectify that, this is not a job for the government alone. It requires everyone to be involved. I said in my inaugural speech to the first Victorian skills plan a couple of years ago that we need to work in cooperation and collaboration. This is something that is absolutely missing from those over there. They are not interested in that. They oppose tripartism, and they oppose recognising that we all need to join forces.

The other thing I say to them is: can you imagine what dire situation this state would be in if we had not rebuilt TAFE, if we had not introduced free TAFE, and if we did not have an 18 per cent increase in TAFE enrolments in the first quarter of this year?

This is a government that has done almost everything possible to ensure that we have got delivery, and of course we are working on making sure that our completions are also improved. This is a government that is absolutely committed to public provision of vocational education and training in this country. But not only that, we are about aligning the delivery to what is needed in the local economies for the first time ever, I would claim. We are building a system that is more responsive to what is needed in the labour market. But we have also made sure that there are provisions for those other areas, like the arts, so that they can stay, maintain and thrive.

This is a government that is absolutely committed to making sure that everyone has got a chance to participate. We have seen over 110,000 women come back into the training system. We have seen record numbers of people from CALD communities, First Nations people and people with disabilities. This is the importance of having public provision of vocational education and training. But it is also making sure that we have got the architecture, whether it be the Victorian Skills Authority that provides us with the data and talks with NCVER or Apprenticeships Victoria and of course the Office of TAFE Coordination and Delivery. And with all of that we are building a system, a robust system, that is on the balls of its feet to respond to the different challenges that we face.

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:35): I thank the minister for her response. Minister, when will you meet your own target of 373,000?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:35): Unfortunately the member just did not listen to my answer. What they are now trying to say, what they are now trying to pin, is that because there is a skills shortage and it has been quantified, somehow it is the government’s fault. We have taken on the responsibility to rebuild the system that they smashed, and we will continue to build a very strong TAFE and VET system so that we can fill those needs. Those opposite do not take any responsibility for what they did when they were in government, and now they are trying to pin all skills shortages on this government. It is outrageous and ridiculous, and you should go back to school. Maybe go to a TAFE.

Georgie Crozier: On a point of order, President, that was an extraordinary outburst from the minister. She failed to answer the question.

The PRESIDENT: What is your point of order, Ms Crozier?

Georgie Crozier: The point of order is that at the end of question time we will be raising it to have that reinstated, as she failed to answer it and continually sledged the opposition.