WHILE Labor is talking down the future of TAFE, figures show that the Victorian Coalition government is spending a record $1.2 billion a year on vocational training, 41 per cent more than when Labor was in power.
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This has had strong results, with about 645,000 student enrolments in 2013 compared to 426,900 in 2010 when Labor was in government, including a 33 per cent increase in regional students trained over the same period.
A significant improvement in the TAFE sector is a refocusing of government subsidies for training in areas of skills shortages and skills needed in the economy, to ensure that training provided is linked to getting a job at the end of the course.
This does not suggest a smaller TAFE sector, but one more focused on providing training in areas where employers have skill shortages. This meant that 60 per cent of the training in 2013 was delivered in the six highest employing industries, which include healthcare and social assistance, manufacturing and construction.
The contribution made to Bendigo TAFE is huge, with many Bendigo locals receiving quality education over a lengthy period. I too have had the benefit of TAFE training when I undertook an apprenticeship as a carpenter right here in Bendigo. I completed my four years of training across the McCrae Street campus and also the Osborne Street campus, Flora Hill (now closed). This training helped me to start on my career in life.
TAFE institutions make their own decisions from time to time to meet changing demand and market competition. Remember, it was Labor that forced TAFEs to compete in the open training market it introduced in 2008.
Discussions between TAFE and Kangan Institute over a possible merger remain just that - discussions between two independent TAFE institutions about how best to respond to the needs of students, employers and industry.
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