Victorian Budget: first steps taken to ensure disadvantaged Victorians not left behind

The Victorian Budget, the first for the Andrews Government, contains welcome initiatives that meet election commitments – but the heavy lifting to address our state’s education, skills and employment challenges cannot be achieved in one budget.

This requires sustained work that must be met over several budgets.

Our state’s future prospects rise and fall on its investment in human capital, that is the talents and capabilities of all its people. Lifting the education, skills and work readiness of the Victorians who are currently unable to take up the opportunities of our rapidly changing modern economy has to be an ongoing task.

On behalf of disadvantaged Victorians, the Brotherhood of St Laurence looks forward to the outcomes of Steve Bracks’ review of school funding and the review of vocational education (‘TAFE rescue fund’). These reviews will be critical to the prospects of young Victorians struggling to land their first job.

"It cannot be said enough, the engine room of equity resides in the provision of education and skills for our youth so they can fully participate in the economy as well as broader community life,” said Brotherhood of St Laurence executive director Tony Nicholson. “A fact so often lost in current debates is that the majority of school leavers don’t proceed to university. Our experience is that TAFE colleges are best placed to address the needs of disadvantaged young people and disengaged learners. I was particularly pleased to see $350 million being invested to help re-equip the state’s denuded TAFE system.”

Work and Learning Centres win for disadvantaged people

Mr Nicholson also welcomed the commitment by the State Government to continue support for five work and learning centres in Carlton, Geelong, Moe, Shepparton and Ballarat. The job centres, located near public housing, were developed by the Brotherhood of St Laurence with local community partners to meet the needs of highly disadvantaged jobseekers. “The centres have proved remarkably successful in getting long-term unemployed people into paid work,” Mr Nicholson said.

He added: “In meeting its election promises, the government has taken solid first steps to ensure disadvantaged Victorians are not left behind.”These first steps also include notably:

• Significantly increased funding for child protection;
• Funding to meet pay increases for community service workers without hurting services;
• Funding for Local Learning and Employment Networks focusing on youth.

MEDIA CONTACT: Deborah Morris, 0450 784 847 , dmorris@bsl.org.au