Member’s Statement – Campaspe College of Adult Education
Thursday 9th August 2018
Campaspe College of Adult Education
Mr WALSH (Murray Plains) (09:41:10) – I raise the concerns today of Campaspe College of Adult Education in Echuca and particularly the impact its closure would have on the adult students of Echuca. Campaspe College of Adult Education has been delivering adult education into that region for 39 years now and many of the young people in Echuca owe the employment opportunities they have to courses they have done at that particular college. There is a huge cost if those students have to travel out of town to go somewhere else to have an education opportunity.
The free TAFE courses have had a huge impact on the local learning networks right across Victoria. A number of local learning colleges have closed and the Campaspe college in Echuca is now at risk of closure. Karen Hagan has been working with the department to try to get a satisfactory outcome to keep the college functioning. Their student enrolments are starting to improve but they do need the support of the government they do need the support of the department to make sure they stay open to continue to deliver those very critical services as I said to the students and the adults of the Campaspe region.
I am very concerned that there have been questions to the Minister for Training and Skills in the upper house that do not appear to be resonating with her. She does not seem to be supportive enough of the local learning colleges and the networks there. The concern is that the minister is more interested in covering up the rorts affair than in doing her job.