Council
30 January, 2025
Kealy urges funding return
LOWAN MP Emma Kealy has called on the government to reinstate funding in what she described as a “callous cut”.
Ms Kealy said the government has slashed vital Skills First funding from Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) with the axing of the 10 per cent funding premium set aside for students to undertake online learning.
She said Skills First funding enabled RTOs to deliver subsidised courses and skill sets in areas where demand for jobs was high, and includes additional funding for delivery in regional areas.
“The government’s brutal funding cuts will have devastating and far-reaching consequences for RTOs, their staff and their students,” Ms Kealy said.
“I have been contacted by many families who are directly impacted and bewildered by this cut.”
Ms Kealy said cuts to programs like Skills First while facing critical shortages in regional sectors showed “just how out of touch this government is” and called for the immediate reinstatement of funding.
“These cuts are hurting regional and rural students who simply don’t have access to the same training services as their city counterparts. These subsidies are critical to supporting regional employment pathways,” she said.
“This is just another consequence of the Labor government’s financial mismanagement and cost-cutting, and regional Victorians are paying the price.”
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