More people are enrolling at TAFE and training in Victoria than anywhere in Australia, as local jobseekers sign-up to the Andrews Labor Government’s world-class skills and training system and gain in-demand jobs across the state.

The latest NCVER report shows the Labor Government is leading the way in skills and training, with 272,600 Victorians enrolled during January to September 2021 – the largest student cohort since 2016 – reinforcing the sector’s importance in building a pipeline of skilled workers as the state emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Labor Government set about rebuilding TAFE and training in 2014, after Government-funded TAFE enrolments plummeted by almost 100,000 between 2011 and 2014 under the former Liberal National Government.

The NCVER report shows the number of Government-funded VET students in Victoria increased by 13.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2020.

The results are significantly higher than the Australian average increase of 6.4 per cent in students and 7.2 per cent in enrolments.

The Victorian system reported a 12.6 per cent rise in VET students, underpinned by 52,264 enrolments in the Labor Government’s flagship Free TAFE initiative between January and September, while other government providers, such as dual-sector universities, rose by 5.7 per cent.

The report also showed a 12 per cent increase in Victorians undertaking apprenticeships and traineeships, a direct result of the Government’s investment in the area through initiatives like Apprenticeship Victoria and the Big Build Apprenticeships program.

Additionally, Victorian TAFE is giving more people better access to skills and training, with the number of female students growing by 16.4 per cent and the number of people with disability up by 5.4 per cent.

Since 2014, the Government has made a record $3.2 billion investment to rebuild TAFE and support universities and higher education to ensure Victorians have access to high quality education and rewarding career pathways.