PRODUCTIVITY PLACES PROGRAM

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (14:44): My question is to the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills. I ask the minister to advise the house of the latest round of the Productivity Places Program for job seekers.

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:44): I thank the member for Torrens for her question and her deep and abiding interest in training. Most members of our party have a very strong interest in education and training, as does the member for Torrens.

I am pleased to advise the house that South Australian registered training organisations, industry and employers can now apply for a share of $16 million to train job seekers across the state. The latest and final round of the federally-funded Productivity Places Program will help more job seekers enter the labour market with those skills and qualifications that are in high demand from industry.

These training places will lead to nationally-endorsed qualifications (at certificates II, III and IV) and also diploma levels in a range of industries. Targeted training places will be allocated to help meet the particular needs of South Australians at greatest disadvantage, including Indigenous people, those with disabilities, retrenched workers, unemployed youth and people from regional South Australia.

The Productivity Places Program for job seekers supports the state government's job strategy to create 100,000 additional apprenticeships and training places over six years. It also supports the state government's commitment to assist people experiencing difficulties entering or staying in the workforce and providing them with the confidence to participate in learning and work.

It is driven by demonstrated industry demand and priorities identified by the Economic Development Board and the Training and Skills Commission, including mining, defence, advanced manufacturing, health and community services, building and construction, clean tech industries, agri-food industries, and water resources.

The Productivity Places Program complements the state government's Skills for All initiatives which are aimed at modernising the vocational education and training system to be more responsive to the needs of students, business and industry. I call on registered training organisations, employers and industry to consider applying for this round of the Productivity Places Program which closes on 23 November 2011.