Minister Hall joins G21 gathering to up skill Geelong
Minister for Higher Education and Skills Peter Hall today joined a key group of Geelong educators and government and business stakeholders to discuss industry participation in Victoria’s vocational training system.
Mr Hall met with members of the G21 Education and Training Pillar during a visit to Geelong focused on supporting education and skills training and jobs growth in the region.
Mr Hall said the G21 Education and Training Pillar, part of the G21 Regional Alliance, was playing a critical role in raising the profile of education and training as key drivers of the region’s economic and social prosperity.
“Geelong’s economy is changing rapidly, and the Victorian Coalition Government is committed to helping reskill workers and build local business opportunities in the region,” Mr Hall said.
“As part of the Coalition Government’s refocusing of the training system, we’ve made sure industry plays an increasingly pivotal role in the vocational education and training system to ensure it produces job-ready graduates in high demand and meaningful jobs.
“Key industry representatives can tell us what skills they need employees to have now, what skills are likely to be needed in the future and whether the training system is responding to meet those needs.
“In their work with other G21 pillars as well as local education providers, industry and businesses, the G21 Education and Training Pillar have a network of people dedicated to improving skills and opportunities from across the region and are already well connected to industry groups and key stakeholders.”
Mr Hall said the Coalition Government’s Skilling the Bay initiative, which is well into phase one, would be critical to ongoing skills development across the Geelong region.
A partnership between the Gordon Institute of TAFE and Deakin University to develop benchmark labour market and demographic reports and identify options to grow emerging and new industries in Geelong is an important part of the initiative.
Mr Hall said a number of higher education projects for the Geelong area, including Deakin’s $255 million teaching hospital and a $102.8 million research facility for carbon fibre innovation, along with The Gordon’s $29 million Centre for Biotech, Sustainability and Living Well facility, reinforced the Coalition Government’s commitment to helping secure the region’s hi-tech future.
A National Centre for Vocational Education Research report released last Friday confirmed that Victoria invests more in vocational education and training than any other state.
“Victoria provided a third of all state and territory investment in training delivery and support in 2011 and provides a million more subsidised enrolments in vocational education than any other State,” Mr Hall said.
“The Coalition Government’s recent reforms to Victoria’s vocational education and training sector, including an extra $1 billion over the next four years to better support training, along with increased subsidies for apprenticeships and areas of skills need, will lead to improved job prospects for Victorians.”
About the G21 Regional Alliance
The G21 Regional Alliance is the formal alliance of government, business and community organisations working together to improve the lives of people in the Geelong region across five member municipalities – Colac Otway, Golden Plains, Greater Geelong, Queenscliffe and Surf Coast. G21 works as a forum to discuss regional issues across interest groups and municipalities resulting in better co-ordinated research, consultation and planning.
The G21 alliance is made up of more than 300 community leaders and specialists who are passionate about the future of the G21 region and who volunteer their time to be involved in G21 as directors, ‘pillar’ members and within working groups.
The G21 Education and Training Pillar vision is to work collaboratively to raise the profile of education and training as key drivers of the region’s economic and social prosperity. Their objectives are to:
- strengthen the links within and between education, training, industry and employment sectors and build links to the health and wellbeing sector;
- promote a community culture which values lifelong learning; and
- advocate for multiple and accessible learning opportunities and career pathways.
