SKILLS FOR ALL

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (15:53): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. Can the minister inform the house how the state government's Skills for All reforms will benefit South Australia's Indigenous community?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:53): I thank the honourable member for her very important question. The state government has set a target of halving the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal unemployment rates by 2018. Currently, the unemployment rate is more than three times that of our non-Indigenous population. That is why it is important that the government's Skills for All reforms take positive steps to redress that imbalance.

The Learner Support Services Program is fully funded by the government and is available to students with complex needs whose chances of completing their course without assistance are often much reduced. A trial of the Learning Support Services Program has been run through TAFE SA in 2011-12 and will be expanded during 2012-13 to include a selection of other training providers. These services can include personal support and mentoring, study skills support, liaison with and referrals to external services, career guidance, in-class support, vocational placement and volunteering support, support in transition into training and employment. These support services have been shown to significantly increase completion rates.

The Aboriginal Access Centre aims to lead prospective Aboriginal students from unemployment to vocational education and training and then on to sustainable employment. Based in over a dozen metropolitan and regional TAFE campuses, the service provides individualised case management, tutorial assistance and e-learning resources, and can assist with providing financial support for courses. Support is provided for the duration of study and up to a further 12 months to assist participants to find a job.

The Tauondi Aboriginal College is an independent Aboriginal-owned and operated organisation, with funding support through the state government. The college provides Aboriginal people with accredited or non-accredited training and plays a significant role in building the confidence, capacity and capability of the state's Aboriginal community.

Fee concessions will also be available to students who hold a health care card and may further reduce the cost of training for courses at certificate III level and above. Certificate I and II level courses will, for the first time, be fee-free from July. These are, indeed, worthy initiatives that focus on addressing Indigenous disadvantage but it is important to also note that our state as a whole will benefit significantly through the contributions that Indigenous South Australians can make to our economic wellbeing.