STEPPING UP THE PACE PROGRAM

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:13): My question is to the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education. What is the government doing to halve the gap in employment outcomes between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:13): I thank the member for Florey for her interest in these issues. The state government is dedicated to increasing Aboriginal employment within the state, and to this end has developed Stepping Up the Pace, South Australia's Accelerated Aboriginal Employment Strategy.

The plan was endorsed by the former Aboriginal Workforce Development Inter-ministerial Council in September 2009 to accelerate progress against our national promise to halve the employment gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. For South Australia to halve the gap in employment outcomes an extra 470 Aboriginal people need to gain and sustain employment every year, with a further 250 to undertake training.

I am very pleased to advise the house that as at June 2010 the strategy has already generated 429 new employment opportunities and delivered 460 training outcomes. Since 30 June 2010 the strategy has generated an extra 229 employment outcomes and delivered 166 training outcomes. This means the Stepping Up the Pace strategy has generated 658 employment outcomes and 626 training outcomes, exceeding both targets, which is a great achievement.

Some of the employment outcomes achieved since 30 June include employment within BHP Billiton of 10 apprentices from the Indigenous Apprenticeship Employment Initiative, with the help of the commonwealth government and Santos, and five participants from the iTrain project. I would also like to acknowledge the funding provided by industry, which has seen 74 Aboriginal people undertake training in the national infrastructure project.

On Thursday I will be presenting certificates to the 20 graduating participants of the Woolworths national Indigenous Employment Program, which is part of the Stepping Up the Pace strategy. The program is a joint initiative of the commonwealth and state governments, the Mining, Energy, Engineering Academy Ltd and Woolworths Ltd. It is a $1½ million project that aims to provide paths to traineeships and apprenticeships for 100 Aboriginal people within Woolworths Ltd.

Participants in the program come from Adelaide's northern and southern suburbs, the Upper Spencer Gulf and the Far North. The participants for this round of graduates are all from the southern areas. I am pleased to hear that they have shown great enthusiasm and dedication to the program and are eager to work in the retail industry after they graduate.

We are also supporting the South Australian private sector to employ and train Aboriginal people through the 2010 Industry Action Plan. This plan established the Aboriginal Employment Industry Champions Network, a network of 27 senior business leaders, and seven industry clusters. The work is pivotal in closing the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in employment and training.

I am pleased to recognise the great work of industry, commonwealth and state governments in working together to help Aboriginal people into our workforce and also to help ensure their economic futures. The examples I have mentioned today reflect the state government's dedication to meeting South Australia's Strategic Plan objectives in Aboriginal unemployment and Aboriginal wellbeing and are central to ensuring the future wellbeing of our state.