Local ‘Think Tank’ survey shows that education and training on the Peninsula requires significant investment.

The Committee for Mornington Peninsula (CfMP) is currently undertaking a survey on local issues, and one of the early findings is the urgent need for improved training and education across the Peninsula. 

Committee for Mornington Peninsula Board Member, Shannon Smit said “So far we have had 191 people respond to our survey, and it is clear that many see training and education as a high priority. Of the business owners who responded to the survey 32% indicated they had difficulties securing appropriately trained employees. Quality education and training is going to be vitally important for the Mornington Peninsula in the recovery phase of COVID-19. We have the opportunity to revitalise the Mornington Peninsula workforce to be more productive and competitive and now is the time to make an investment in education and training that equips people for the jobs ahead. With the federal government announcement of the JobTrainer package the CfMP want to ensure the Mornington Peninsula gets access to the funding for vocational education and training”

Key insights of the survey in relation to education and training include:

• An urgent need to revitalise the infrastructure and expand the offerings at the Chisholm TAFE Rosebud Campus.
• Improved public transport to increase access to education and training.
• The potential for a Mornington Peninsula University Campus that offers courses that students currently need to travel to Melbourne to undertake.
• Potential to provide additional education and training offerings across the Mornington Peninsula including marine studies, boat building, marine biology, aquaculture, permaculture, viticulture, agriculture, horticulture, STEM and natural resource management.
• The Mornington Peninsula being able to access the same incentives afforded to regional areas in regard to apprenticeships.

Shannon said “The CfMP welcome the recent announcement that Monash and Melbourne Universities are partnering to establish a world class marine and coastal research centre at Point Nepean” 

The May ABS regional jobs data that showed the region suffered one of the worst employment declines in the weeks following the pandemic ‘lock-down’ with a decline on payroll jobs of 7.9%.

“We knew that with our economy being so dependent on construction, hospitality, tourism, leisure and retail, that local employment would be impacted, but to see that one in every 12 paid positions has been lost reveals the true extent of the impact and the work ahead to recover these livelihoods, and quality education and training is going to be vitally important in achieving this. The CfMP in the coming weeks will be making contact with relevant education providers and all levels of government to advocate for an education and training platform that will assist the Mornington Peninsula in the COVID-19 recovery phase and into the future”  Shannon said.

The CfMP have Education, Regional Designation and Improved Infrastructure as three of their policy pillars. Shannon said “Currently many of our university students are unable to access the federal government relocation scholarship as most of the Mornington Peninsula is considered part of Melbourne. For students living in Rosebud going to the University of Melbourne, according to the PTV trip planner app, it can take up to four hours one way by public transport due to the inadequate public transport on the Mornington Peninsula. Our students and schools also miss out on the Victoria Governments Rural and Regional Education Reform suite of initiatives that provides more than $37 million over five years to address barriers to workforce development, increase access to learning opportunities for students and raise the aspirations of students”

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ‘6160.0.55.001 - Weekly Payroll Jobs and Wages in Australia, Week ending 2 May 2020’ report revealed that the Mornington Peninsula is one of worst hit regions in Victoria when it comes to job losses due to COVID-19.

The data that presents changes in payroll jobs between the week ending 14 March 2020 (in the week Australia recorded its 100th confirmed COVID-19 case) and the week ending 18 April 2020 at the Statistical Area 4 (SA4) level shows that the Mornington Peninsula had a decrease of 7.9% - the third worst hit region in Victoria. Only Warrnambool and the South West (8.6%) and North West Region (8.2%) experienced greater decreases than the Mornington Peninsula. 

Get in touch: info@committeeformp.com.au