Grievance Debate

WorkReady

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (15:25): On most occasions grievance speeches are about good things that happen in electorates. Sadly, I have to confirm that this one is not. It is about a poor policy that the government is instigating which will have a very serious impact upon regional and metropolitan areas, and it is WorkReady, the government's training program.

We have all heard many questions in here about the fact that training numbers have reduced, and that is a decision that the government has made, even though it is at a time of high unemployment, when we are desperate for training opportunities to exist. To the opposition, the amazing part is that of the 51,000 places available, 46,000 are quarantined for TAFE facilities. It is a frustration that we have that hundreds of existing private RTOs across South Australia that do good work have had the opportunity to be competitive (by way of providing training places) taken away from them.

I can confirm that I have met with a private RTO in my electorate, Regional Skills Training. It has been quite outspoken in the media about this matter. I went there last week specifically to talk to staff, to talk to the people who run it, but also to gauge how they feel about their own future, and they do not think they actually have one. This organisation has existed since 2003 and it has hundreds of students across South Australia. It has been focused on ensuring that good outcomes come from it and, as a result of that, the skills that are needed in so many different areas, but it is just so frustrated. That is symptomatic of many of the RTOs out there that want the government to recognise the fallacy of their policy, change it and give the people of South Australia the training chances they need.

I will declare an interest. I have a daughter who works for a private RTO who will be impacted by this. However, I look beyond that and consider what is really a flawed policy. For example, this is an issue that impacts on regional areas, but has a regional impact assessment statement been undertaken? No. There is no evidence of that. Questions have been posed to the minister and the Premier about it. They talk about a modified form of a regional impact assessment statement, but there is nothing on the register, there is nothing that has been available to the public, but it will have an impact.

RTOs advise me that they are able to provide a course at about 40 per cent of the cost of TAFE SA. I am a supporter of TAFE. As a previous shadow minister for employment, training and further education, I recognise the work that they can do, but when it comes down to the simple sums, when there is a challenged budget, if you want to get training outcomes, you have to ensure that you provide an opportunity for private enterprise. Government policy that quarantines 90 per cent of training places being available to the government system within TAFE, taking it away from RTOs, I think is disgraceful and the government has to review it.

I do not know of any group that has actually come out in support of this. The media was consumed by it for about a three or four-week period. Every group that came on the radio expressed concerns about the lack of vision that the government was demonstrating, the fact that it would not achieve outcomes and the fact that it would take away opportunities from South Australians. The Premier and particularly minister Gago have held very firm on it, and I say shame on them, because they are not recognising the fact that people want changes to occur. They want to go back to a system such as the one where the member for Colton, as the previous minister in this place, was in charge of a training and skills report that highlighted the fact that you needed to open it up to contestability. It was opened up and it was getting outcomes. It has now been taken away through a change in government policy.

Through a question from the opposition, we are aware that 300 places were available in the farm management business program; now there are only 20 across South Australia, and they are only available at Mount Gambier TAFE. The South-East is an important area, but agriculture—

Mr Knoll interjecting:

Mr GRIFFITHS: —as the member for Schubert highlights, is one of the strongest and most steadfast economic areas that has grown our population and our economy, but its future is being impacted because the state government does not support it.

I come from an area that is agricultural and is proud of that. It wants to make that leap from what are seen as traditional management principles to the next generation, to challenge itself to get improved productivity and strong outcomes and to ensure that South Australia grows as it grows, but it needs skilled people. They are not all sons and daughters of farmers. A lot of them are people who are not involved in farming, but they want their future to be there. They have had training opportunities in the past, but they have been taken away.

I cannot support what the government has done. I do not find any other group that supports what the government has done, and I, together with the opposition and so many people across South Australia, call upon the government to recognise the mistake it has made, to review its policy, and to ensure that RTOs have a future. If they do not, their future will be taken away from them probably by about Christmas, and from that will come not just job losses in regional areas but opportunities for training will be lost also. Without the training, in times of high unemployment, you take away the future of our communities too.