Apprenticeships and traineeships

Skilling Australians Fund

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

Victoria's 'Big Build' and 'Social Services' higher apprenticeships

A suite of higher apprenticeships with qualifications such as vocational advanced diplomas and higher education associate degrees will be developed in partnership with industry and the tertiary education sector. 'Big Build' higher apprenticeships will support the infrastructure program, with the opportunity to rotate across a range of projects. 'Social Services' higher apprenticeships will be developed over the disability, aged are, family violence and mental health sectors. $5.6 million is allocated for the initiative in 2019-20 (Budget paper 3: Service delivery, pp. 22 and 30).

Apprenticeship support officers

Continued funding of $4.7 million has been allocated in 2019-20 for apprenticeship support officers in TAFEs, to provide apprentices in their first year with advice and assistance (Budget paper 3: Service delivery, pp. 22 and 29).

Displaced apprentices and trainees payroll tax exemption and Discounted registration fee for trade apprentices

Payroll tax exemptions for employers of displaced apprentices and trainees and the discounted motor vehicle registration fee for trade apprentices have continued to be costed through to 2022-23 (Budget paper 5: Statement of finances, p. 186).

Employment

Jobs Victoria

$8.8 million will be provided to expand JobsBank and the Jobs Victoria Employment Network, to help long-term and disadvantaged jobseekers find work with additional support (Budget overview, p. 38; Budget paper 3: Service delivery, p. 72).

Industry

Victorian Jobs and Investment Fund

$150 million will be provided to establish the Victorian Jobs and Investment Fund, including $10 million for LaunchVic to continue supporting local startups, and to attract innovation and investment projects that grow jobs and productivity (Budget overview, p. 38; Budget paper 3: Service delivery, p. 20).

Inbound trade missions and World Expo 2020

$5 million will be provided to fund trade missions, and the delivery of training and skills programs that help build the export capability of local businesses (Budget paper 3: Service delivery, p. 78).

National Agreements

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

• $402 million for the National Skills and Workforce Development Specific Purposes Payment (SPP) (Budget paper no. 5: Statement of finances, p. 178).

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 2019-20. 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. 136).

Training providers and programs

Free TAFE for early childhood courses

To support the commitment to deliver universal access to three year old kindergarten, $4.8 million in 2019-20 ($28.5 million over the forward estimates) has been allocated to add Certificate III/Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care to the Free TAFE list. Eligible students will pay no course tuition fees for the duration of the courses from the 2020 calendar year (Budget overview, p. 27; Budget paper 3: Service delivery, pp. 22 and 29).

Supporting Free TAFE for priority courses

In response to strong demand for Free TAFE, an additional $21.2 million has been allocated in this budget, bringing funding for the initiative to a total of $41.2 million in 2019-20 (Budget overview, p. 27; Budget paper 3: Service delivery, pp. 22 and 30).

Building Better TAFEs Fund

$57 million has been allocated over the forward estimates for a new Building Better TAFEs Fund to upgrade facilities (Budget overview, p. 27). $6 million has been allocated to metropolitan TAFEs (Budget paper 3: Service delivery, pp. 31 and 38) and $8.5 million for regional TAFEs (Budget paper 3: Service delivery, pp. 14 and 16) in 2019-20.

Growing Victoria's agriculture industry

$7.2 million will be provided to meet the demand for qualified shearers and upgrade agricultural colleges at Longerenong, Dookie and Glenormiston (Budget overview, p .38; Budget paper 3: Service delivery, p. 8).