CONNECTING ABORIGINAL PEOPLE TO MINING PROGRAM

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide) (15:01): My question is to the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills. Can the minister inform the house about what the state government is doing to encourage Aboriginal job seekers to undertake training in the mining sector?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (15:01): I thank the member for Port Adelaide for her question, and I am pleased to inform the house that, in the coming year, up to 135 Aboriginal job seekers will now have the opportunity to undertake training, which could lead to jobs in the mining sector through a joint $709,000 state and federal government program.

Applications are now open for mining companies to partner with registered training organisations to apply for funding through the Connecting Aboriginal People to Mining program. The program, now in its third year, enables mining companies and training providers to benefit from providing opportunities for Aboriginal people, particularly in regional areas, where mining is a key employer.

The state government is committing $531,000 during 2012-13, with a further $178,000 coming through a partnership with the federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Projects delivered in South Australia over the past year were delivered in Adelaide, Whyalla, Kadina, Ceduna and Marree through training providers, including TAFE SA Regional, Xceptional Recruitment Pty Ltd and Career Employment Group incorporated.

Qualifications studied included Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations and Certificate II in Resources and Infrastructure, both of which are free under Skills for All. For this program to work we need businesses to provide training based on industry needs. A number of employers who have supported projects in the past by providing work experience and employment opportunities include Rex Minerals, HWE Mining, Iluka Resources, Arid Recovery, Sodexo, Heading Contractors and WorkPac, as well as Xceptional Recruitment and Career Employment Group. I would like to put on the record my thanks to these employers for their support of this program. By supporting Aboriginal job seekers to overcome barriers to employment and committing to employing participants upon successful completion of the project, these employers are investing in the future workforce of this state.

The Connecting Aboriginal People to Mining program is supporting one of the state's strategic priorities to realise the benefits of the mining boom for all South Australians, it also supports the targets set in South Australia's Strategic Plan to halve the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal unemployment by 2018.

The Connecting Aboriginal People to Mining Program contributes significantly to this target and leverages opportunities arising in the mining and resources sector in our state. Applications for the program close at 5pm on Friday 9 November 2012, and for further information on Connecting Aboriginal People to Mining visit www.dfeest.sa.gov.au/capm.