Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams has today announced that Wellsprings for Women will share in $2 million of funding thanks to the Adult Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board’s Capacity and Innovation Grants.

Ms Williams said that Wellsprings for Women will receive $50,000 from the latest round of the ACFE grants.

Wellsprings for Women plans to use the money to empower isolated women from diverse cultures in holistic training to pathways into accredited studies, retail work or small business ventures.

This is the eighth round of the Capacity and Innovation Fund which supports projects that strengthen Learn Locals and contributes towards improvements in learner engagement, participation and attainment.The Fund has so far distributed more than $22 million to Victoria’s more than 300 Learn Local Organisations.

Each year, Victoria’s Learn Locals help in excess of 50,000 Victorians including locals in Dandenong develop new skills, return to study, improve their reading, writing and maths, and pursue their goals.

Ms Williams said the Andrews Labor Government is transforming Victoria into the Education State through a range of initiatives including:

• Nearly $2 million of increased funding this year for pre-accredited training through the ACFE Board;
• A commitment to the ongoing sustainability and success of Learn Local and other community providers made as part of the Government’s Response to the independent VET Funding Review; and
• A range of initiatives to help young people into training, including the new Reconnect: Engagement and Learning Support program which is providing wrap around support for young, disengaged, early school leavers as they enrol in and complete training.