For decades, VCAL has been unfairly seen as the lesser qualification – with university the “best” pathway to a good career.
But that’s no longer the case. Careers in trades and services are just that — careers — with good pay, and secure jobs.
And more than ever, the skills in demand are vocational and they’re taught through VCAL, then at TAFE or on the job.
In Tuesday’s Victorian Budget, we’ll invest more than $277 million in the biggest reform to our senior secondary school system since the VCE was introduced.
From next year, Victorian students will be able to complete the VCE Vocational Major or the Victorian Pathways Certificate — instead of VCAL or Foundation VCAL.
Local government schools will get the funding they need to offer students more choices through expanded VET pathways.
These pathways are going to offer skills that match up with the industries we know are in demand — such as health, construction, engineering, agriculture and environment, hair and beauty, and business.
They also match up with the big reforms this government is proud to be leading — across mental health, early childhood education and prevention of family violence.
These pathway are about creating choice for all Victorian students.
Whether that choice is to work in mental health, to help build that new system that we desperately need.
Or to work in early childhood education, so we can roll out 15 hours of three-year-old kinder for every three-year-old across the state.
To become a chippie or a sparky that’s got a solar qualification to work on a wind farm or install solar panels on peoples’ roofs as part of the 750,000 homes that will take part in our Solar Homes Program.
This is about making sure that every Victorian student has the skills they need for the jobs they want.
We’ve not just stopping there; as part of this package more students will also be able to earn while they learn as we expand our Head Start program to every government school in the state.
Through Head Start Victorian students can complete their VCE alongside an apprenticeship or traineeship while earning a good wage.
Part of our reform of the senior secondary system will also go directly to cutting out-of-pocket costs for essential materials for vocational training in government schools. That means savings of up to $1000 per family.
It wasn’t that long ago that we had a TAFE system on its knees – cut beyond recognition and leaving Victorians without pathways to the skills they need for a job.
We made a promise to Victorians that we would save TAFE and we have, we’ve made it free and now, we’re making it better than it’s ever been.
You can’t deliver big reforms without skilled workforces and you can’t build those workforces if vocational training is seen as lesser than a university degree.
That’s why this package is not a cost, it’s a profound investment.
Daniel Andrews
Victorian Premier
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