$11m TAFE funding changes mean opportunities for VIC ECEC

The Victorian Government has announced a major funding package to support the “huge growth” in enrolments in the State, being driven by the Free TAFE initiative announced in 2018. 

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Victorian Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney announced an additional $11.7 million to accommodate the strong student demand yesterday. A major component ($6 million) is earmarked to support services to assist students facing disadvantage. 

The $6 million funding allocation will include new course materials to help students improve their time management, study skills and literacy, making them more employable.

Assisting TAFE facilities to keep up with demand drives the other major component of funding, with $5 million allocated to help ensure TAFEs keep up with demand so eligible students can enrol in their preferred Free TAFE course. 

A $500,000 initiative will offer teaching scholarships to professionals with VET industry experience to address staffing vacancies in priority areas.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is supported in the funding announcement by way of a new $200,000 program which will explore ways TAFEs can work with not-for-profit ECEC services through supporting work placements for students enrolled in the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care and Certificate III in Early Childhood Education, which start in 2020.

More than 25,000 students have commenced training in Free TAFE courses in the six months to the end of June, a 92 per cent increase in commencements in these courses compared to the same period in 2018.