Student Apprenticeship Brokers

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (15:03): My question is to the Minister for Education. With what is the government replacing the school-based apprenticeship brokers, who I understand have been told that their jobs will finish in January?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (15:04): I think that is premature. The department is currently working through a proposal. There is a conversation about whether the title of apprenticeship broker is the appropriate title. There are apprenticeship brokers who are funded through the commonwealth, and at the moment what the department is working through is whether there is a better pathways role that those current brokers can play in order to make sure that not only are they part of securing apprenticeships for students but that they are plugging students into multiple future work options and future study options.

While I am very, very proud of the results that we have in this state for students completing high school, as I think I said only this week (although the days do blur in this place), we are the best of all the states in the completion of our high school certificate. Nonetheless, we don't have 100 per cent of our students finishing, and we should all have that as a goal.

The role that the current apprenticeship brokers and possible future pathways workers can play in providing alternatives for students who aren't at the moment seeing themselves as continuing school is very important. There is no reduction from central office in the number of permanent staff being employed in the program, and I am yet to see the final iteration of the work that will be occurring.