2019-20 State Budget continues to transform Victoria’s TAFE and Training sectorThe 2019-20 State Budget continues the Government’s commitment to providing Victorians with the skills they need for jobs today and into the future.
Investing in training and skills
This year’s Budget invests an additional $231.1 million in training and skills to keep transforming the sector by:
- strengthening training quality
- building more world class facilities
- growing Victoria’s pool of skilled workers
- expanding Free TAFE for Priority Courses.
The Budget is helping more Victorians get good, skilled jobs in our growing industries and workforces.
This includes $82.7 million for more subsidised places through TAFEs and training organisations, creating new training places in areas that meet the skills needs of Victorian industries and priority workforces.
The Budget also invests $28.5 million in the skills Victoria needs to deliver three-year-old kinder with two new early childhood TAFE courses added to the Free TAFE course list.
The Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care and Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care will be free, helping to support the strong job growth expected from the Victorian Government’s introduction of universal three-year-old kindergarten.
This is a big reform, and it needs a significant workforce investment to support it. It’s estimated that the three-year-old kinder reforms will create almost 7,000 jobs, with 4,900 additional kinder teachers and more than 2,000 additional early childhood educators needed over the next 11 years.
To support Victoria’s growing agriculture industry, $7.2 million will be invested to upgrade facilities at agricultural colleges and to provide additional training in shearing at more sites across the state.
The Government is also ensuring apprentices have the support to stick with their training so they can get a job with a $4.7 million investment for Apprenticeship Support Officers.
The budget also invest $5.6 million for the Big Build and Social Services higher apprenticeships to give Victorians new opportunities to ‘earn while they learn’ at higher qualification levels and support the roll-out of Victoria’s major infrastructure programs and the major growth in the human services sector.
The officers provide support and guidance to thousands of young apprentices during their first year of training and are based at TAFEs across the state.
Upgrading and rebuilding TAFE facilities
Facilities and campuses will be upgraded and rebuilt around Victoria through a $57 million boost to ensure Victorian communities can access great local TAFEs.
The 2018/19 Budget investment in TAFEs includes:
- $23.5 million to build a cookery school at The Gordon
- $20.3 million for a new library and learning hub for South West TAFE in Warrnambool
- $10.2 million for a centre for sustainable construction at Box Hill Institute
- $2.5 million for GOTAFE to build a health and training facility in Seymour
- $2 million towards the construction and fit-out of the Narre Warren Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre
- $500,000 for planning for upgrades to Melbourne Polytechnic and Chisholm Institute campuses in Collingwood and Frankston.