Apprenticeships and traineeships

Skilling Australians Fund

Victoria is one of two jurisdictions not signed up to the National Partnership on the Skilling Australians Fund.

Quality apprenticeships to drive job opportunities in the modern economy

$44 million will be provided over four years ($4.8 million in 2018-19) to modernise apprenticeships including the introduction of independent assessments, updated learning materials and the reintroduction of trade papers (Budget paper no. 2: Strategy and outlook, p. 42; Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, pp. 41 and 51).

Employment

Jobs Victoria - Increasing employment inclusion on Victoria's major projects

$6 million is allocated over two years for specialised support programs to help more long-term unemployed Victorians, including young people, women and Aboriginal and migrant Victorians, to get jobs on Victoria's major projects and find work (Budget overview, p. 8; Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, pp. 10 and 15).

Jobs Victoria - Increasing employment opportunities for disadvantaged job seekers and young people

$15 million over two years ($12.5 million in 2018-19) will be provided for a new specialised employment support program to be established for long-term unemployed youth and young people facing significant barriers to employment. Jobs Victoria will also be expanded to provide additional services to other long-term jobseekers. This investment will ensure long-term Victorian jobseekers are connected to job opportunities (Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, pp. 10 and 15).

Industry

Commercialising Victoria's biomedical research into local jobs and industry

$4.6 million is allocated over two years ($2.3 million in 2017-18 and $2.3 million in 2018-19) to help commercialise Victoria's biomedical research into local jobs and industry (Budget overview, p. 8; Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, pp. 102 and 103).

Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre

$4 million over two years will be provided to further support to the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre for building the Narre Warren facility to train workers and disadvantaged groups and assist to retrain workers for careers in specialised environmentally sustainable plumbing (Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, pp. 41 and 51).

Responding to Victorian job growth with more training

$180.9 million in 2018-19 and $122.9 million in 2019-20 will be provided to continue and further extend investment in the TAFE and training sector to support eligible students to access training and develop skills. Funding will also be available for additional training to develop skilled workforces in government priority areas including family violence, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and infrastructure projects. The Asylum Seeker VET Program will continue to fund asylum seekers and refugees to access training (Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, pp. 41 and 52).

National Agreements

Estimated Commonwealth funding to Victoria for skills and workforce development in 2019-20 includes:

$393 million for the National Skills and Workforce Development Specific Purposes Payment (SPP) (Budget paper no. 5: Statement of finances, p. 158).

Regulation

Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority

The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) is Victoria's education and training regulator. The VRQA registers education and training providers in vocational education and training (VET) that operate in Victoria only or Victoria and Western Australia only, school education, school and non-school senior secondary education and overseas secondary student exchange programs. It also registers children for home schooling in Victoria, accredits courses and registers qualifications, investigates complaints against the providers registered by the VRQA and regulates apprenticeships and traineeships in Victoria.

The Strategy Review and Regulation output is allocated $116.8 million in 2018-19. This output plans, develops, and monitors strategic policy settings across all stages of learning. It also includes inter-governmental negotiations, research, data, and performance evaluations and supports regulation that ensures quality education and training is delivered (Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, p. 170).

Training providers and programs

Free TAFE for priority courses

$172 million will be provided over four years ($24.3 million in 2018-19) to make TAFE free for 30 priority courses, commencing 1 January 2019. These courses will focus on skills required for building infrastructure projects, responding to family violence, and caring for older Victorians or people living with disability. Nominated apprenticeship pathway courses in Government priority areas will also be free, to encourage higher participation and opportunities for students to consider undertaking apprenticeships (Budget paper no. 2: Strategy and outlook, p. 39; Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, pp. 41 and 50).

Enhancing secondary vocational pathways

$25.9 million is allocated over four years ($6.8 million in 2018-19) to improve the quality of secondary vocational pathways. A Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS) Quality Assurance Framework will be developed to assist schools in purchasing high-quality VETiS. Additional funding will support the delivery of VETiS programs and increase the provision of VETiS by TAFEs (Budget overview, p. 12; Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, pp. 40 and 44).

Careers education in government schools

$109 million will be provided over four years ($24.9 million in 2018-19) to make sure students get the right career advice and thus the right career choices early on. Career education in government schools will be redesigned to assist students to make better career and pathway decisions and to meet the needs of business and industry. Year 9 students will have access to a new careers e-portfolio and will be assisted by professional career diagnostic assessment and guidance (Budget paper no. 2: Strategy and outlook, p. 43; Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, pp. 40 and 43).

Head Start Apprenticeships and Traineeships

A new model for school-based apprenticeships and traineeships will be piloted in high-demand trades such as construction, and emerging industries with growing numbers of new jobs. This pilot will deliver up to 1 700 Head Start Apprenticeships and Traineeships in 100 secondary schools, involving an optional additional year of school to give secondary students an opportunity to learn their trade at school and get a job sooner. The initiative will also fund 50 Community Industry and Employment coordinators to support participating students, schools and employers to implement the Head Start Apprenticeships and Traineeships. $49.8 million has been allocated over four years, with $6.6 provided in 2018-19 (Budget paper no. 2: Strategy and outlook, p. 43; Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, pp. 40 and 45).

TAFE Facilities Modernisation Program

$120 million will be invested in three TAFE refurbishment and development projects at Bendigo Kangan Institute McRae St Campus, Federation Training Morwell Campus, and Federation Training Port of Sale Campus (Budget paper no. 2: Strategy and outlook, p. 42; Budget paper no. 3: Service delivery, p. 58).