Labor’s Victorian election win a boost for TAFE

The key policies that Labor pledged include:

• Extending eligibility for Free TAFE to people with higher level qualifications
• Changing the “once-in-a-lifetime” limit on enrolling in a Free TAFE course when continuing in a selected training pathway
• Establishing six new Tech Schools in Frankston, Dandenong, Hume, Brimbank, Warrnambool and Wangaratta that will support about 62,000 students
• Investing $170 million to build and extend TAFE campuses as part of a new Building Better TAFE Fund, which includes a $50 million Clean Energy Fund
• $6 million for Federation TAFE’s Asia Pacific Renewable Energy Training Centre for Stage 2 works to deliver training in areas such as wind turbine maintenance and blade repair
• $5 million to deliver South West TAFE’s Building Innovation and Design Centre, including a multi-disciplinary trades workshop for “green” plumbing, solar and battery electrical systems
• $5 million for Gippsland TAFE to create a Clean Energy Centre at its new Trade Skills Centre
• Up to $80 million for two new TAFE campuses in Sunbury and in Melton, which will be a dedicated construction skills facility
• Up to $36 million for The Gordon’s Disability Services Hub and Student Hub
• $4 million for Bendigo Kangan Institute’s health and learning hub at Castlemaine
• Introducing legislation to guarantee 70 per cent of VET funding to TAFE
• Committing to at least 6,000 apprenticeships as part of the reinstatement of the State Electricity Commission.