The Abbott government has scotched concerns that funding for a new trade training centre in Hume, promised by Labor pre-election, will be abandoned.
“The Coalition has no plans to shut down any of the trade training centres that are in operation or cancel any projects that have been approved under the latest funding,” a spokesman for federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne told the Weekly.
In the lead-up to the September 7 federal poll, the Labor government announced a grant of $4.5 million to establish a trade training centre based on four Hume schools – Roxburgh College, Gladstone Park Secondary College, Craigieburn Secondary College and Mount Ridley P-12 College.
Another $1.26 million was allocated for a stand-alone trade training centre at Penola Catholic College, Broadmeadows, to provide a new purpose-built building for engineering, electro-technology and hairdressing students.
Engineering courses at Penola are currently taught in a workshop converted from the laundry of a children’s home on the site many years ago. Hairdressing is taught in a portable classroom shared with art and electronics students. There is little space and some equipment is stored in an adjacent shipping container.
Plans for Hume’s new TTCs were announced on August 20, the same week as the $5.2 million Central Ranges trade training centre, based at Whittlesea Secondary College, was opened.
In the lead-up to the election, McEwen Labor MP Rob Mitchell said the funding had been included in the 2013-14 budget for Labor’s $2.5 billion, 10-year Trade Training Centres in Schools program.
Despite rumours that the Coalition government would abandon the pledge, leaving plans on the drawing board for 24 TTC projects across Victoria, the projects will go ahead.
