House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2) 51 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Answers to Questions South Australia Works SOUTH AUSTRALIA WORKS Mr GRIFFITHS House of Assembly Goyder SOUTH AUSTRALIA WORKS 37 Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (10 July 2007). 1.	Why was there a decline in mature aged people participating in 'SA Works' programs in 2006-07? 2.	Why is the number of participants in 'SA Works' programs expected to decrease by 5,358 in 2007-08? The Hon. P. CAICA House of Assembly Colton Minister for Employment Minister for Science and Information Economy Minister for Youth Minister for Gambling SOUTH AUSTRALIA WORKS The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Youth, Minister for Gambling): 1.	The target which was identified for mature aged people to participate in 'SA Works' programs in both 2005-06 and 2006-07 was 3,050 people. This target was significantly exceeded in 2005-06 (with 4,510 participants), while the estimated result for 2006-07 is consistent with the target of assisting 3,050 participants. The main reasons for exceeding the 2005-06 target are: The 'Parents Return to Work Program' was oversubscribed during 2005-06 by nearly 700 participants. The program was subsequently realigned to maximise State Government funds by targeting people who were not receiving Commonwealth Government assistance; Improvements to the Employment 40 Plus Infoline website in 2006-07 provided a more efficient service for mature aged people; The Employment Assistance Program assisted 1,107 mature-aged participants, exceeding the 2005-06 participant target by 587. In 2006-07, the program was refocussed to better target cohorts from the 'SA Works' priority areas, and also broaden targets to include migrants and people with a disability; and During 2005-06, one-off industry projects were funded to assist industry sectors meet immediate workforce needs, also increasing participation and employment outcomes for mature-aged people in 2005-06. The participant target for 'SA Works' programs in 2007-08 is higher than the participant target set for 2006-07 and 2005-06 financial years. The reasons it is lower than the 2005-06 actual participant result are: The 2007-08 participant target does not include data for the Labour Market Adjustment Program. This is a demand-driven program which provides support to workers as a result of redundancies or closures in an industry. In 2005-06, 2,004 participants were assisted, and in 2006-07 it is estimated 866 will be assisted; A number of 'SA Works' programs exceeded their targets with additional funding of $4.4 million from external sources, including the Commonwealth Government; Collaboration with the Employment and Skills Formation Networks and community-based service providers resulted in additional resources, which augmented participant outcomes; and Additional participant outcomes from one-off industry initiatives funded through the 'SA Works' Workforce Development Fund and SA Works in the Regions, contributed to the significant effort in 2005-06.