Young people across the Mildura electorate will have more opportunities to gain practical skills and prepare for a career close to home under a Nationals and Liberals plan to establish 10 new Technical Colleges across Victoria.
The colleges will provide hands on training for up to 5,000 students in Years 10 to 12, with courses in carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, healthcare and hospitality, developed around the needs of local industries.
The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, said the plan will give students more choice in how they learn and prepare for their future.
“Not every student thrives in a traditional classroom, and not every young person wants to go to university. Technical Colleges will offer another pathway to gain qualifications and pursue a rewarding career,” Ms Benham said.
The colleges will provide full-time vocational education and training, with dedicated teachers and partnerships with local businesses and industry bodies. Each will cater for around 500 students and be co located at an existing secondary school or TAFE institute.
Ms Benham said the plan would help address Victoria’s skills shortage crisis, with the state recording the nation’s highest unemployment rate and youth unemployment reaching 12 per cent.
“This plan will offer young people across our region the chance to build a future close to home and connect with local employers.”
The plan will also establish a $115 million Accelerating Apprenticeships Fund to cover half of eligible off the job training costs for apprentices in priority occupations, helping local businesses take on and train the next generation of workers.
“Only the Nationals and Liberals have a clear plan for regional Victoria, giving young people more ways to learn, develop their skills and build their future in the communities they call home.”
