Adult Community Education Our advocacy throughout 2018 and 2019 resulted in a Ministerial Summit and Ministerial Statement, strengthening the future of adult community education in Victoria Expand Neighbourhood houses account for two-thirds of all Learn Local providers and 49 are Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). They receive funding by the State Government to deliver subsidised training for Victoria’s most vulnerable learners to set them on the path to further education and employment opportunities. Our advocacy in this space is incredibly important to ensure the ongoing viability for current providers, as well as making it easier for more neighbourhood houses to provide this vital community service. In 2018 we partnered other peak bodies ACEVic, Adult Learning Australia and Community Colleges Australia to develop a sector statement which addressed our concerns regarding the current and future state of the Adult Community Education (ACE) sector. We were very concerned at the number of closures of RTOs and a signficant drop in the number of Learn Local organisations providing pre-accredited training. Read the statement. The statement was submitted to the Minister of Training and Skills Gayle Tierney MP. As a result, the Minister announced her intention to host an ACE Ministerial Summitt. On Wednesday 7 August 2019, our CEO Nicole Battle presented at the ACE Ministerial Summit. The summit was opened by the Minister of Training and Skills Gayle Tierney and brought together government and policy makers, industry peaks and providers, to discuss the issues impacting community education in Victoria. We put forward a series of recommendations, developed in partnership with ACEVic, Adult Learning Australia and Community Colleges Australia, and informed by a consultation process across the Learn Local sector (with responses from 143 providers, representing an impressive response rate of 79 percent). Read the recommendations. Leading up to the summit, Nicole went on her own community education roadshow to get a first hand, on-the-ground perspective of the issues impacting providers. Some of these visits were shared to social media: In November 2019, Minister Tierney launched a Ministerial Statement - the first of its kind in 15 years, outlining her priorities to elevate adult community education in Victoria.
We Deliver! Will You? - 2018 State Budget This campaign secured an investment of $21.8 million in additional sector funding across four years. Expand In November 2017 we launched the ‘We Deliver! Will You?’ campaign to ensure neighbourhood houses received priority funding in the final State Budget prior to the 2018 State Election. A Campaign Manager, Tania Phillips, was contracted to produce and implement a strategic advocacy campaign. This included the distribution of 2,000 posters and 80,000 postcards across the sector for signing and delivering to local MPs, as well as a social media campaign. A range of campaign resources were produced to assist the sector in supporting and promoting the campaign: Campaign Overview Key Messages Background to our Key Messages Election Campaign Postcards Information Sheet Election Campaign Lobbying Guide Frequently Asked Questions State Budget Submission The famous postcard: ‘We Deliver! Will You?’ was a massive success in terms of mobilising the sector, and resulted in the State Government pledging $21.8 million across four years – the biggest investment in coordination hours by any Victorian Government. Since announcing the pledge, the State Government has funded 189 houses to deliver at least 25 coordination hours per week, including the establishment of 16 brand new houses and funding for 11 previously unfunded houses. See the following State Government media releases: Supporting and expanding our neighbourhood houses (17 May 2018) Delivering more neighbourhood houses across Victoria (12 October 2018)