SKILLS FOR ALL

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (14:30): My question is to the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills. Can the minister inform the house about state government initiatives to encourage more people to take up jobs in the building and construction industry?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:31): I thank the member for Mawson for his question. I note that he is the Chair of the Southern Expressway Employment Taskforce which is getting jobs for young people in construction and civil industry in the southern suburbs around the Southern Expressway.

The building and construction industry continues to be a significant employer in South Australia, with more than 6 per cent of the state's workforce. Over the next five years, we expect that around 13,500 jobs will open up due to industry growth and replacement of people who will retire. The state government's Skills for All reforms will provide subsidised training for approximately 110 construction-related qualifications. About 20 per cent of these construction-related qualifications will be entirely fee free. That means there will no longer be a cost barrier for students who wish to train in these areas.

I am also pleased to be able to tell the house that 30 courses will be available through the Training Guarantee for SACE students. Under the Training Guarantee, school students are able to commence one of the many building and construction courses available, whilst still at school, with the assurance that they can continue it once they finish school. The Skills for All reforms will provide subsidised training for more than 1,400 courses including the vast majority of apprenticeships and traineeships. Many of these courses are directly linked with the building and construction industry. The Skills in the Workplace program will also provide up to 90 per cent of the cost of training of eligible South Australian employers to improve the overall skills level of existing employees in industry-critical skills and specialised occupations. Infrastructure, both public and private, is listed as a priority sector that will receive support from the Skills in the Workplace program.

As members may be aware, the Sustainable Industries Education Centre is currently under construction at Tonsley Park. The $125 million building and construction industry training hub is expected to open in January 2014. The centre will specialise in training more than 8,000 students a year in new green technologies associated with the state's $4.5 billion building and construction industry and will be a central focus of the new Tonsley Park precinct. TAFE SA is the anchor tenant of the site with other industry and training organisations expected to take up the opportunity to co-locate at this state-of-the-art facility. When built, the new education centre will provide 40,000 square metres of world class, energy efficient trade training infrastructure. It will transform training in the building, construction and water industries and open the way to incorporating cleaner, green technology into future building projects.

The state government's Skills for All initiatives will assist business, industry and individuals with the skills needed for the building and construction industry, now and in the future.