The Future of Adult Community Education in Victoria 2020-2025

In November 2019 the Department of Education and Training released the Ministerial Statement for "the Future of Adult Community Education in Victoria 2020 - 2025". 

This document discusses the importance of community providers for adult learns and how these providers, like ourselves, are continuing to prove their importance and necessity in the community. 
We are pleased to be supported and recognised by the Victorian Government in the Adult Education sector. They offer valuable funding, allowing us to provide a variety of affordable courses for you! The courses funded by the Victorian Government are known as "Learn Local" courses, funded by ACFE.
So what is ACFE and what does it mean for you?
ACFE stands for Adult, Community and Further Education. Through the ACFE Board, the Victoria Government provide funding to organisations like us, to facilitate the delivery of pre-accredited education and training programs to a range of Victorians.
The funding ACFE provides allows us to offer affordable short courses aimed at school leavers, young people, older people, people with special needs and people from diverse cultural backgrounds. The courses are designed to help you learn work skills, increase knowledge for your job, develop your small business or try for a new career!

The underpinning values outlined in the Statement are;
- education is crucial to enabling people to participate fairly and equitably in society
- inclusion and universal access to core education and training are fundamental rights  
- the learner is at the centre of adult community education
- adult community education plays an essential role within the broader post-secondary education system. 

The purpose of this document is to outline the findings of research undertaken in previous years about who engaged in Adult Community Education and how successful the training was. 
The analysis found that "of those who undertake pre-accredited training, and transition to accredited training, 78 per cent complete and attain their accredited qualification". This shows how beneficial these ACFE courses are.

The full ministerial statement can be found below:
www.education.vic.gov.au/training/providers/learnlocal/Pages/min-statement-adult-education.aspx