Darren Cheeseman (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is my pleasure to rise today to speak on the member for Blair's motion before this House. I particularly want to focus on the important role that TAFEs play in training our young people and in providing critical skills necessary for industry growth for our region. TAFEs provide people with job-ready skills, which is of course what industry wants.

Down my way we have a huge appetite for well trained people across a broad spectrum of skill sets. We have a very strong tourism sector in my area requiring hospitality skills to support it, particularly in areas like the Great Ocean Road, the Bellarine Peninsula and the fabulous Otway Ranges area. Given that though, it is completely unbelievable that the state governments are attacking TAFE the way they are. The Bailleau government is imposing on the Gordon TAFE—a very proud Geelong institution and one that has served our region for more than 125 years—a 25 per cent funding cut. He is also imposing across the whole TAFE sector across the state of Victoria a $300-million cut to our TAFE institutions. This massive attack on our TAFE colleges will see huge pressure being put on our institutions to simply survive.

One of the most disappointing aspects of the TAFE cuts was revealed on Friday last week in a leaked state government cabinet-in-confidence document which highlighted that the Gordon TAFE would have to, by 2014, cease delivering VET training in our schools. VET training is an important alternative pathway for young people wanting to pursue a career that does not require going to university. Further to that, that leaked cabinet document indicated that the Gordon TAFE would have to close 43 courses providing skills and training to young people.

Those that might be listening to this broadcast would very much be aware that my seat within the Geelong region has a very proud and very strong manufacturing sector. Quite unbelievably, the Gordon TAFE will be forced to close its certificate IV in competitive manufacturing. This is a course designed to provide skills that are critical to our Geelong car industry, a very important and strong employer in our region. This particular course is designed to up-skill our manufacturing workers within our region providing new and expansive skills to workers to enable them to have a strong presence in their workplaces, particularly around driving productivity and the like. Yet the Bailleau government's attack on this course will create difficulties for our manufacturing sector.

Further to that, our region, as I indicated earlier, also has a very strong tourism sector. It employs many young people and is a new and emerging industry in our region yet this leaked cabinet document reveals that the Gordon— (Time expired)

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