Vocational Education and Training

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My supplementary to the minister is: are you seriously telling us that you have got no idea about the impacts of the changes that have been made on people who have already undertaken the Construction Pathways program in South Australia?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for the Public Sector) (14:08): I have not brought with me into the chamber the list of courses—

Mr Marshall interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: —that are on the fully funded list.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: If the minister could sit down, I just remind members of standing order 142. This early in the day, it would be terrific if you could observe it and listen to each other in silence. Minister.

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE: Thank you, Deputy Speaker. What I am aware of is that the arrangements for school students who are undertaking certificate II and III courses that are regarded as having high public value and, therefore, are on the fully funded list are those from which they are likely to get employment. The purpose of providing VET training in the high school years as well as afterwards is not simply to acquire a qualification, not simply to acquire a certificate, but to acquire a certificate that will lead to employment.

The Department of State Development has undertaken a process of identifying which courses those are and, therefore, which will be fully funded. Over the next few weeks, we will be leading up to the time when students will start to select courses for next year. All those who are studying this year will be able to complete their courses regardless of whether they are on that list or not.

As we see that occur, as we see the choices that those students wish to make and they reference that against the list that's available, should there be issues that I regard as being serious in terms of the ability of students to continue at school, or anomalies in terms of particular locations where there might be sufficient people who are qualified in those positions for vacancies generally but perhaps not in a particular region, then I have already indicated that I will be taking that up with the relevant department.