Minister for Skills and Training the Hon. Brendan O'Connor MP today announced a $1.5 million investment in advanced manufacturing equipment at Victoria University (VU)'s Sunshine Campus.
The investment aligns with VU's ongoing commitment to providing relevant education and training opportunities in Melbourne's west for years to come.
More than 48,500 Victorian students enrolled in Free TAFE last year, including over 14,000 in dual-sector providers like VU.
VU's Chief TAFE Officer Wayne Butson said the number of people across Victoria studying in essential areas of our economy is helping Australia respond to skills shortages and prepare for the country's future.
"For over 100 years, VU has proudly delivered TAFE courses, apprenticeships, traineeships and customised training programs to meet the growing and changing needs of Australian industry and the increasing skills requirements of the workforce," Mr Butson said.
"This $1.5 million investment will have a positive and tangible impact on hundreds of manufacturing students who inevitably and successfully find employment across the west of Melbourne."
This investment builds on opportunities created through the government's Free TAFE initiative, which removed financial barriers to enrolment for over 355,000 Australians in 2023.
VU will use the $1.5 million to not only fund the advanced manufacturing equipment but to train apprentices and up-skill a new generation of workers in the following qualifications:
- Certificate III in Engineering - Fitting/Machining
- Certificate III in Engineering - Fabrication Trade
- Advanced Diploma of Engineering (new offering in 2024)
- short courses to upskill existing workforce.
"This investment goes to the heart of our government ensuring that no student in Victoria is left behind or held back, especially as the economy transitions and adapts to structural change, " Mr O'Connor said.
The Hon. Dr Daniel Mulino MP said by removing financial barriers, Free TAFE has played a vital role in encouraging people from all sorts of backgrounds into training.
"VU has several innovative programs to attract and retain young people who have traditionally faced barriers to post-secondary education; and has signed up to a number of partnerships with organisations to provide a highly skilled workforce in areas of demand," Mr Mulino said.
"VU is clearly doing a lot of things right in the skills and training sector and this funding will help them skill more manufacturing workers for a future made in Australia."
