It’s a win-win for Wonthaggi trades’ training with a new TAFE

WONTHAGGI has been crying out for TAFE workplace and trades training here for years.

Since COVID, the handsome-looking Chisholm TAFE facility, out on White Road, has stood idle, with very few face-to-face workplace courses for a burgeoning area, with existing and expanding demand for construction trades training, hospitality staff, aged care, childcare and health workers.

And despite the best efforts of local IT professional Malcolm Beasley, retiring Bass Labor MP Jordan Crugnale and, it must be said, Eastern Victoria Nationals MP Melina Bath, the pleas have largely fallen on deaf ears.

Just this year, a Certificate III Course in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability), offering face-to-face tuition, was commenced, after a five-year hiatus.

But there's been virtually nothing else, beyond online courses, leading to very poor workforce training outcomes from the Bass Coast area.

That’s until Liberal Leader Jess Wilson came to Wonthaggi on Sunday, October 11 and promised $222 million to establish 10 new technical colleges, in a move designed to address skills shortages “by training the next generation of tradies”, including here in Wonthaggi.

As pointed out by the Labor candidate for Bass, Chris Buckingham, it was a rubbery announcement, however, which included no actual dollar value for Wonthaggi and not much detail.

But now Labor has come to the party as well putting $5 million of a total $70 million announcement on the table to establish a new TAFE college, co-located with the Bass Coast Secondary College in McKenzie Street, Wonthaggi.

“This is a bricks and mortar commitment, $5 million, which will be a great start, whereas the Coalition is yet to say how much money will actually be invested in Wonthaggi,” said Mr Buckingham.

But the opposing parties are in virtual lockstep about what skills training will be offered at Wonthaggi, at either at the Coalition’s technical college revival or Labor’s new TAFE campus.

According to the Coalition the 10 tech schools they have planned will see 5000 secondary school students gain hands-on vocational education and training in trades “critical to building the homes and infrastructure the state needs”.

According to Finance Minister Enver Erdogan, who visited Wonthaggi on Thursday this week, promising $5 million to get a new TAFE started in Wonthaggi, the focus will be on construction and health.

“A re-elected Carroll Labor Government,” he said, “will build two new TAFE campuses in Melbourne’s outer north and west and three TAFE campuses (built new or upgraded) in Bendigo, Wonthaggi and Dandenong.”

“It’s a $170 million investment in the future of Victorian jobs,” he said.

“These new campuses will focus on delivering training in priority skills areas such as construction, trades, logistics, health, community services, early childhood education and renewable energy.”

In Wonthaggi, according to Minister Erdogan, the focus will be on health and construction trades.

“We’re also investing $70 million to upgrade TAFE campuses across the state,” he said.

He detailed the funding split as follows:

• Bendigo – $20 million to establish a Clean Economy Hub at Bendigo TAFE’s Charleston Road campus, to train the tradies we need for the energy transition.
• Wonthaggi – $5 million for TAFE Gippsland, focused on health and construction.
• Dandenong – $45 million to build a new Home Building Centre at Chisholm’s Dandenong campus.

Asked if Wonthaggi was only getting “crumbs off the table” both in terms of the $70 million TAFE commitment focusing on Dandenong and Bendigo and the $222 million commitment made by the Coalition for their tech school revival, Mr Erdogan said the Coalition’s funding commitments and tax cuts didn’t stack up.

The Sentinel-Times asked Mr Erdogan where the government has been for the last six years, while the local council and community has been calling out for access to TAFE courses locally.

A fully fund TAFE Gippsland campus “to deliver critically needed local TAFE pathways” is one of Bass Coast Council’s key priorities.

“Where have you been for the last six years? We've been calling out for face-to-face TAFE here in Wonthaggi. We've got one of the lowest completion rates in the state. We've got a 2.5% completion rate, compared to the state average of 8.5%. So, where have you guys been for the last six years?” the Sentinel-Times asked Minister Erdogan.

“I think the teaching models are very operational, and every site is different. And we get back to educators to make those decisions about the appropriateness. I mean, we know, TAFE completion rates are a challenge nationwide,” Mr Erdogan said.

“I know we've got a Federal Minister who is working tirelessly to make sure that TAFE is a good option and making sure that people complete the courses so they get the, I guess, the full benefits of taking TAFE training options.

“But we know that's a challenge. I appreciate your feedback, and that's something that should be fed back into the educators. But they are best placed to make the decisions about how they want to operate,” he said.

So, the coalition came here a couple of weeks ago and made a $220 million commitment to technical schools, 10 across the state, so let's say it's $22 million here for Wonthaggi, and we're getting crumbs off the table from today's announcement of $70 million. We're getting $5 million here in Wonthaggi. What's that actually going to pay for? Asked the Sentinel-Times.

“I think we've already made strong investments. Like I said, we've reopened TAFE campuses. We've invested in primary and secondary schools that are the key pathways so people want to study further and develop their skills,” said Mr Erdogan.

“So, I'd say we have a strong record in terms of investment.

“When they were last in government, they in fact closed 22 TAFE campuses. And I do note that they are making a lot of announcements. The local member keeps making announcements in the neighboring electorate.

“At the same time, they're promising to collect less revenue from Victorians. So, I think something doesn't stack up, and we need to put them to the test. And I think they just need to come clean.”

Do you know what the profile of courses is going to be here. We're struggling for hospitality staff, for aged care, and health care staff. Do you know what the profile of the courses is going to be here at the new Wonthaggi TAFE?

“Yeah, I mean this campus will have a greater focus on construction and the health sector because we're seeing that's where the greatest demand is, but we know there's demand across fields, including the hospitality sector, and that's why I think this is a broader discussion that we need to have with the Commonwealth,” he said.

“We know that the hospitality sector relies obviously on our TAFE system, but also relies a lot on working holidays and a lot of international migrants to this country that do work in the sector.

“So, I think when we have a discussion about the hospitality sector more broadly, you would have seen the AHA's announcement when it comes to reducing the number of immigrants to our nation.

“I think that is a concern because that will mean front-end delivery of chefs and cooks and people working in our service sector will be affected.

“So, we now have to have an honest conversation, and I think the opposition needs to come clean about what their policies are. Do they believe we should be welcoming people to our country, or do you want to turn people back, because that will have an impact on the hospitality sector,” he said.

The Minister for Skills and Training Gabrielle Williams welcomed the initiative.

“We’ll deliver two new TAFE campuses so young people in the north, south-east and west can get the training they need for the career they want,” Minister Williams said.

“Labor will deliver new TAFE campuses. Jess Wilson is promising $40 billion in cuts,” she claimed.

Enver Erdogan also announced that he was nominating for the Eastern Victoria Region at the November 28 state election.

Currently the Member for Northern Metropolitan Region, he plans to move into Eastern Victoria if successful, although it’s likely to be in the outer Melbourne suburbs, possibly with an office at Pakenham.

Another of the candidates in a ‘Melbourne Cup’ field for Eastern Victoria, Nationals’ incumbent Melina Bath was critical of the promise by Labor.

‘Just playing catch-up’ says Melina Bath

“For years, Labor dismissed concerns about the lack of face-to-face vocational training on the Bass Coast,” said Ms Bath.

“Questions I asked the Minister were routinely deflected, while local students, apprentices and employers missed out on training opportunities available elsewhere in Victoria,” she said.

“Now, on the eve of an election, Labor has finally acknowledged the problem it spent years ignoring.

“While Labor is playing catch-up, The Liberals and Nationals have committed $222 million to deliver 10 new Technical Colleges across Victoria, creating opportunities for 5000 students to gain job-ready skills in industries facing chronic workforce shortages.

“Wonthaggi is well placed to benefit from this long-term investment in vocational education and training,” Ms Bath said.