Twelve technical schools would be built across Victoria if Labor is elected at next month’s state election, four of which will be established in regional centres.

Three of the four proposed regional sites — Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong — are located in marginal constituencies needed for either side to form government on November 29.

Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews unveiled the plan at the Labor Party’s campaign launch at the Geelong Performing Arts Centre. He said the $125 million pledge would encompass vocational students from years seven to 12 and work with existing colleges.

“Tech schools are coming back, refined and reformed, because our kids deserve a head start on a hands-on profession,” Mr Andrews said.

Technical colleges were common throughout Victoria until the Cain government moved to amalgamate vocational and academic schools in the late 1980s. 

Warrnambool Technical School was renamed Brauer College, Portland Technical School merged with the city’s high school to become Portland Secondary College and Warrnambool North Technical merged with the adjacent high school to become Warrnambool College. Cobden Technical School is the only institution to retain the title after parents and staff campaigned against a mid-1990s name change.

A spokeswoman for Education Minister Martin Dixon said the technical school plan was uncosted and unlikely to be implemented.

“Labor’s own regional and rural affairs spokesperson (Jacinta Allan) is on the record bashing technical colleges, saying they provide no advantage to any students,” the spokeswoman said. 

“Victorian Labor dismantled Victoria’s tech colleges under the Cain and Kirner governments. (They also) stood by and watched while their Labor colleagues in Canberra dismantled Australian Technical Colleges.”

Hamilton Technical School was also forced to amalgamate in the 1990s, becoming part of Baimbridge College, while the site was retained for post-school vocational training.