Thursday, 28 November 2024

TAFE teachers

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:39): (771) My question is to the Minister for Skills and TAFE. As the protracted two-year pay dispute with TAFE teachers drags on, TAFE teachers are quitting and the union representing them has stated there is no hope of attracting new TAFE teachers – a failure of this Labor government. Given the Victorian Skills Authority had already flagged a shortage of TAFE teachers across Victoria’s TAFEs, how many TAFE teaching positions are currently vacant?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:40): Yet again we have a situation where those opposite ask questions and all they do when asking questions is expose themselves as being not in touch or on top of this portfolio. The fact of the matter is that the remarks that the member made in respect to the AEU dispute are very old, extremely old. In fact there has been positive and very strong progress in the negotiations to the point where bans have been lifted, like the release of results for students. So we are pleased with the progress and we look forward to hearing further from the parties that are involved as they explain –

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, on relevance, I have waited a while; I would ask you to bring the minister back to my actual question, which was: how many vacancies?

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister was relevant to the question.

Gayle TIERNEY: The member raised the dispute at the beginning of his question, so I was only providing a similar context to alert him to the fact that there has been progress made in terms of those industrial negotiations. I know that there are lots of conversations going on with members of the AEU and members of the VTA. In terms of the membership, obviously staffing has been tested like every other area of industry and indeed the teaching workforce, not just across the state, not just in TAFEs but all across the nation. This will continue to be an issue that needs to be challenged, and we will continue to do everything that we can. For example, we put the TAE, which is the prerequisite qualification for someone to teach at a TAFE, on the free TAFE list and we have seen an absolute uptake as a result of that. When I went out and made the announcement of the location of the Sunbury TAFE, the TAFE teachers who were there had actually undertaken those TAFE qualifications and are making sure that they are teaching at another TAFE at the moment and waiting to transfer over to the Sunbury TAFE. So this is an ongoing process. We have offered scholarships in the past and we have also ensured that there is work being done at a national level for a blueprint for the workforce for vocational education –

Evan Mulholland: On a point of order, President, on relevance again, the minister has had a long diatribe, but this was a specific question about how many TAFE positions are currently vacant. She has not gone near that.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister is being relevant to the question.

Gayle TIERNEY: In terms of the actual numbers, that sort of detail is very difficult. I would not have that on me at this point in time, and it varies on a daily basis and on a weekly basis. But obviously like all organisations – we have got 12 standalone TAFEs – they have got their own HR systems. Those HR systems would be aware of what their recruitment process would be, and I am sure that they will.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:43): With Victorian TAFEs facing a shortage of over 2000 TAFE teachers, I ask once again: will the minister rule out shutting down some TAFE campuses?

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Regional Development) (12:44): Thank you, President, but moreover thank you, Mr Mulholland. What a gem. He talks about 2000 teachers. That is the exact number that you sacked when you were in government. Isn’t that a convenient conflation of figures and histories? How dare they come in here and ask me about shortages, not to mention campuses, when they shut 22 campuses in this state. What I can do is assure the member that we have no plans to shut campuses. In fact I have made announcements about two brand new campuses in the last six months.