SKILLS FOR JOBS PLAN

Mrs VLAHOS (Taylor) (14:31): My question is to the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education. Can the minister inform the house of the Training and Skills Commission recently released five-year plan?

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) (14:31): I can tell the house that the state's peak advisory body on skills and workforce development (the Training and Skills Commission) today released the annual update of its Skills for Jobs five-year plan. The updated report reflects the changing priorities of industry in South Australia and identifies what needs to be done to meet those priorities over the next five years. I am glad to tell the house just a few of the findings of the commission's report.

The report confirms South Australia's economy is set for solid economic growth at potentially a higher rate than that of the nation. South Australia's economic prospects will be driven by new growth areas such as major mining, defence and infrastructure projects, and opportunities in the tourism and renewable energy sectors. This will have flow-on effects to the services sector, creating many job opportunities in business and financial services; wholesale, retail and personal services; as well as community services and health. The combined impact of economic growth, plus the need to replace workers leaving the workforce or changing occupations, will result in estimated total job openings of around 162,000 over the five years to 2013-14.

The commission has identified that, owing to the state government's $194 million election pledge investment to create an additional 100,000 training places, the alignment of the supply for training places will come very close to the huge demand for training places of 293,000 over the next five years. The plan outlines priorities to improve language, literacy and numeracy skills, develop a more responsive tertiary system, prepare workers for the new economy so that they can adapt to new demands, improve the use of skills in the workplace, and develop a workforce development strategy for the tertiary education workforce.

I am pleased, then, that the commission has commended the government's approach to reform of the VET system, singling out the Skills for All proposals released in July this year. The Skills for All reform proposals outline a 10-point plan aimed at creating a fairer, more flexible and modern VET system that more closely aligns the supply of training places with the demand of both industry and, ultimately, students.

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: It is interesting hearing the interjections of the member for Norwood. Perhaps he might want to speak to his leader, whose vision for education infrastructure is: she thinks she can get a good education (according to her speech yesterday) sitting under a gum tree. Her vision for education in South Australia is receiving it under a gum tree. Here we are spending $125 million on a new TAFE—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —and the Leader of the Opposition thinks you can get a good education sitting under a gum tree.

Mr PENGILLY: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order—125.

The SPEAKER: No, I do not uphold that point of order. I do not think it is particularly offensive.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I am only pleased that the Treasurer does not share the Leader of the Opposition's view that education is best provided sitting under a gum tree.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The minister is misrepresenting the Leader of the Opposition. What she said—

The SPEAKER: I direct the minister back to answering his question and stop provoking the other side. They have been well behaved up until now; please don't you, as former speaker, be the one who upsets them.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I am terribly sorry, Madam Speaker. I would be happy to quote the Leader of the Opposition in full, but I merely make the point—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —that before the member for Norwood—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will be quiet.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —jumps up and down throwing accusations at the government, perhaps he needs to speak to his own leader about her visions for education infrastructure in South Australia. Such a system will allow—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Members on my left will be quiet and listen to the minister.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Why do they tattle so?

The SPEAKER: On with your answer, please, minister.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: Such a system will allow individuals and employers to choose the skill development opportunities best suited to their needs and offer South Australians a government supported entitlement to undertake vocational training. Copies of the 2010 plan are available on the Training and Skills Commission website www.tasc.sa.gov.au.