TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (12:18): Victoria was the epicentre of training and skills this month. We were proud to host the WorldSkills national championships right here in Victoria. Many school students got to witness not only the incredible skills of our young students, trainees and apprentices but also the variety of careers a vocational, technological and service-orientated education can unlock. This government knows the value of investing in Victoria’s TAFE and training sector, and this was proven by our incredible Victorian competitors at WorldSkills. Victoria took home 59 medals – more than a third of the total medals and the most of any state. Our competitors won gold in 16 categories, including heavy vehicle mechanics, landscape construction and graphic design to name a few. I would like to congratulate Magnus Andersson and Will Vestergaard, who won not only a gold medal in mechatronics but also the best-in-nation award. They had the highest score of all competitors at the championships.
This month we also hosted the 69th Victorian Training Awards. As always, the awards were filled with many inspirational stories of hard work, determination and the transformational impact of high-quality skills and training. From Trainee of the Year Rebecca Hope, who brings her lived experience with autism to the role of program coordinator with Amaze, to TAFE Gippsland, whose incredible transformation over the past six years was recognised with the Large Training Provider of the Year award. I would like to congratulate every winner, competitor and finalist on their fantastic performance. This is why Victoria is the training and skills capital of the nation.
