House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1) 52 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Community Education Training Initiative COMMUNITY EDUCATION TRAINING INITIATIVE Ms THOMPSON House of Assembly Reynell COMMUNITY EDUCATION TRAINING INITIATIVE Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (16:07): My question is to the Minister Assisting the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education. Can the minister advise the house of programs to improve literacy and numeracy in the community? The Hon. T.R. KENYON House of Assembly Newland Minister for Recreation Minister for Road Safety Minister for Veterans' Affairs Minister Assisting the Premier with South Australia's Strategic Plan Minister Assisting the Minister for Employment COMMUNITY EDUCATION TRAINING INITIATIVE The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Minister Assisting the Premier with South Australia's Strategic Plan, Minister Assisting the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education) (16:07): I thank the honourable member for her question and note her keen interest in this area. More than 2,000 adult South Australians will have the opportunity to improve their literacy and numeracy skills through the state government's $3.9 million community education training initiative. The Adult Community Education Grants program provides funding to support South Australian adults experiencing low levels of literacy and numeracy to participate in learning, training and jobs. I am particularly pleased at the applications received for the second round of the Adult Community Education Foundation Skills Grants program. The funding provided under this stream of adult community education funding will see 2,086 training places offered by community-based, not-for-profit training providers at over 50 sites across the state. This funding will provide accredited training, in partnership with TAFE SA, so that participants can further improve their skills to access higher levels of training and gain employment. The extra $2.175 million for this round of the Adult Community Education Foundation Skills Grants program is playing an important role in delivering on the state government's job strategy commitment and brings the total for foundation skills grants funding to more than $3.9 million since the program began last year. We know that people with limited literacy and numeracy face barriers to gaining jobs and further education opportunities. This additional investment provided by the Rann Labor government to the Foundation Skills Grants program builds on the existing Adult Community Education program. It offers real opportunities for disadvantaged South Australians to secure sustainable employment. The Skills for All reforms, announced in February, provide additional support to the adult community education sector in delivering foundation skills programs to South Australians so that they can access training and find work. The successful applicants in the latest round include: the Tailem Bend Community Centre, the Christie Downs Community House, the City of Port Adelaide Enfield at Kilburn, and UnitingCare Wesley at Port Augusta. A record 130,000 new jobs have been created in South Australia since the Rann government came into office in 2002, and the training provided across the state as part of adult community education will help deliver on the state government's Skills for All job strategy which commits to creating 100,000 new jobs and 100,000 additional training places over the next six years.