STATEMENTS BY SENATORS
Senator STEWART (Victoria) (13:44): I rise today to welcome a significant investment in skills and training for regional Victoria. The Australian government is investing $2.46 million through the Mobile TAFE program. This investment will fund two mobile training units delivered by TAFE Gippsland SuniTAFE, bringing skills and training directly to regional communities.
It forms part of a $31 million investment across Australia to help bridge the gap between regional communities and TAFE and training, while building the local workforce that our communities so desperately need. This investment recognises something regional communities have always known: talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn't always. In north-west Victoria, distance can be one of the biggest barriers to training and education.
The further you live from a major centre, the harder it can be to gain qualifications, build new skills or take up new opportunities. Mobile TAFE flips that model. Instead of asking people to travel to training, it takes training to where the people are.
I particularly acknowledge SuniTAFE and the role it plays across north-west Victoria. Through this investment, SuniTAFE will partner with Mallee District Aboriginal Services to deliver foundation skills to support job readiness, construction, agriculture, land management and accredited training pathways. That partnership will bring training directly to communities, creating more opportunities for people to gain skills, build careers and connect with local employment opportunities.
In regional Victoria, where distance is often the biggest barrier to education and training, investments like Mobile TAFE will make a real difference on the ground. It means more people can gain qualifications closer to home, it means local businesses can access a skilled workforce that they need and it means young people can build their futures without feeling like they must leave their communities behind.
It's good for communities across the Mallee and it's good for regional Victoria.