Daniel Andrews’ dramatic cuts to VET funding revealed

Details of Victorian Government funding of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in 2018, released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research shows plummeting investment by Daniel Andrews in the training and skills sector.

Overall Victorian Government funding is down 9%, with recurrent funding down 7% and capital funding down 36% in 2018 when compared to 2017.

This $86m cut to funding by the Victorian Government is the largest in Australia and occurs at the same time as New South Wales has invested an extra $172 million into their training system – a 21% increase in funding.

Daniel Andrews claims to prioritise growing skills shortages in areas to support our ageing population and those on the National Disability Insurance Scheme but has in fact cut spending on Community Services courses by $21 million (11%) in just one year. Demand in these areas is forecast to grow by thousands of workers, yet Daniel Andrews is cutting funding dramatically, impacting not only the care for the most vulnerable but also those compassionate students who are drawn to these caring vocations.

Typical of Daniel Andrews and Labor, while they have cut funding for VET delivery, the bureaucratic spend on systems administration and governance has leapt by 23%.

This government is so focused on trying to make things look good that it is coming at the expense of funding students to get real training that leads to real jobs.

We already knew that government funded student numbers were down 25,000 for the year to 2018, and here is the evidence of the associated funding cuts by this government.

Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Training and Skills, Mary Wooldridge:

“This Government has been all smoke and mirrors when it comes to training and skills, but when learners are deserting the system and the funding is being cut, it’s clear Daniel Andrews is failing our students.”

“Victoria is falling behind when it comes to delivering the skills we need because Daniel Andrews is cutting the training and skills budget at the same time as other states are investing.”

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