Thursday, 6 March 2025

Ministers statements: TAFE sector

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water) (12:31): A TAFE course is the ticket to a great career and higher wages. The $4.6 billion the Allan Labor government has invested in our skills and TAFE system is delivering skilled workers for Victoria’s economy. Our TAFEs are an equal best choice to Victoria’s universities because the skills and trades taught there are the backbone of our society – electricians, allied health workers, disability support workers, plumbers, TAFE teachers, teachers, school teacher aides, early childhood educators, nurses and many more.

The latest data from NCVER, the National Centre for Vocational Training, shows that thousands more Victorians enrolled in government-funded VET courses in 2024 compared to the previous year. More women, more First Nations people and more students with disability are also enrolling. The proportion of Victorians choosing TAFE has also increased in 2024. More than 177,000 Victorians are enrolled in our public TAFE network, a boost of over 17,000 compared to 2020. We also have 12,000 more government-funded apprentices and trainees enrolled. These results are no accident. They are due to a careful stewardship of the system, including introducing free TAFE, expanding free TAFE eligibility for reskilling, rebuilding our TAFEs into world-class institutions and supporting apprentices through Apprenticeships Victoria, because Victoria is a great place to be an apprentice. These numbers show that Victorians trust TAFE and they love free TAFE. As the vice-chancellor of Federation University said just last month:

Improving access to education through programs such as Free TAFE has been successful in encouraging more people to gain qualifications in priority industries …

TAFE is a pathway to greater opportunities, in-demand careers and a better life for all Victorians.