Labor Minister for Skills and Training Delivers Tone Deaf Speech at National VET Conference.

To a room of VET Industry Practitioners, the majority being from private providers, a pre-recorded video message from The Honourable Brendan O'Connor MP - Minster for Skills and Training, lauding the recent federal budget plan to only fund training places and facilities upgrades for TAFE providers was broadcast.?The silence was deafening and at the end, the sporadic 3 seconds of claps from a minority few (potentially the TAFE practitioners in attendance, coupled with a few polite claps borne from the good manners of others) was telling of how unhappy our industry is with the new federal budget results.

?And although the conference organiser swiftly moved onto the next session on the schedule (a motivational speech that was met with an ovation that lasted for over 30 seconds), I personally have a few questions and concerns like:

“How can the government get it so wrong?”

“How can they be so obtuse in response to industry feedback?”

“How much deeper are we going to have to dig and how much more resilience are we going to need to find to get through this next challenge, when we are not fully healed from the challenges we faced from the pandemic?”

“Is everyone else around me in this room worried about how the rising cost of living is going to impact their business, livelihoods and those of their staff too?”

"How are we going to entice Australians to spend money on further education and professional development in 2023 when the government is not willing to help fund this burden across the entire sector?”

?Then I listened to James Castrission’s story about how he and his best mate embarked on a journey to trek unsupported to the South Pole and back (1100km in 3 months). I listened in awe about the challenges and setbacks they faced, the immense physical pain and at times the overwhelming sense that success was not going to be possible, and they were doomed to failure.?But each day they got up and kept on pushing, one step at a time, one foot in front of the other.?They shared their vulnerabilities and sense of hopelessness with each other and recorded it to later share with the world. Despite the odds being stacked against them, extreme weather, running out of food, making a 50/50 decision and getting it wrong, they kept on fighting forward.?They kept on smiling! Eventually, the light at the end of the tunnel was in sight and that light was being held by a big friendly giant of a Norwegian! Together, all 3 men became the first people in the world to enter the history books by being the first to trek to the South Pole and back (unsupported). Their story is one of courage, vulnerability, hope and kindness to others.

?I am once again buoyed with hope. I don’t have answers to my questions (yet) and I know I wont find them on my own.?But what I can see now is the “extreme weather” on our VET horizon and the unfriendly and harsh south pole type conditions we are going to inevitably face either “are the” or “caused by” the Australian Federal Government and its (woefully incorrect) plan for support of the VET sector. But the strength and resilience we will need, the changes we will need to make to rise and conquer our stormy horizon can come from industry collaboration and support of each other (Just like Matt and Jonesy did for each other).?

?In 2021, there were over 4.2 million VET enrolments. While I do expect a decline in these with the rising costs Australians are and will be facing in the immediate future and the lack of industry wide federal funding support, I believe we can pivot our structure and come up with more creative ways to support students to spend money and study with us.?We can do this through wider industry communication and collaboration.?Its going to be a while before our light at the end of the tunnel (a light bulb been switched on inside the department for skills) arrives.?Until then, chin up, stand up and support each other.?I believe in our industry, and I believe in you.

?Note: This article is my own opinion and had not been discussed with anybody prior to publication.?I encourage healthy debate, opinions and thoughts.?Your opinions and thoughts help me grow and hopefully mine can help you too.?Stay Safe, Be Strong!