Apprenticeships

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:33): Today, I rise to speak about a really concerning issue in the Riverland and Mallee that has parents very worried. The future structure of apprenticeship support is under review in South Australia and there are community concerns that, as a result, Riverland and Mallee students will be disadvantaged. The shadow minister for education has asked questions in the South Australian parliament. I have written to the Minister for Higher Education and Skills, but I am yet to receive anything. The shadow minister is yet to receive an answer to these community concerns.

As it currently stands, apprenticeship brokers in the Riverland operate under Trade Schools for the Future, based in Berri at the Glossop High campus, and they have been a valuable asset. Some of those campuses, some of these schools that have brokers include East Murray Area School, Glossop High School, Karoonda Area School, Lameroo Regional Community School, Loxton High School, Renmark High, Riverland Special School, Swan Reach Area School and, of course, Waikerie High School.

According to the website, the Trade Schools for the Future program is an education initiative that enables government and secondary school students to combine their South Australian SACE studies with vocational and educational training (VET) in the form of a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship. One of the concerns raised with me is the potential change in services provided by the brokers for this program, who regularly visit the local schools.

Concerns have been presented to me by members of the community that these brokers may be replaced by a compromised service run by private providers who may or may not be committed to providing local apprenticeship options for young adults in our region. Again, these are concerns raised with me by members of the Riverland community, and I am still waiting for a response from the minister, which is never a good sign.

I have a copy of an internal DECD letter about the secondary learners student pathway review. The letter states that there were changes after DECD corporate office's restructure early last year, with the learning improvement division established and a newly formed secondary learning directive, absorbing the work of the previous student pathways and the years 8 to 12 policy initiative. The letter goes on to say:

In 2016 a review of the Student Pathways strategy led to a number of recommendations. These recommendations aim to support sites with SACE Improvement, career development, STEM achievement and pathways for students, including vocational pathways, in a more strategic, equitable and sustainable way.

Again, the letter advises measures in response to the Student Pathways Review, including 14 permanent apprenticeship brokers who will be transitioned into adjusted roles. What does that mean? Officers will be provided with an opportunity to indicate their location preference where appropriate and quarantined selection processes will be undertaken. Band B3 student pathway senior leaders will have contracts conclude in January 2018. The ASO8 business partnership managers, of which there are five positions, have contracts concluding in January 2018, and according to the letter these positions will not continue. Again, there are more jobs missing out of the education system in regional South Australia.

As you can see, there is a reason behind the uncertainty in the Riverland community. The Trade Schools for the Future program has been seen by the community as very successful. Apprenticeships and trainees are critical to obtaining young people in our workforce. These young people are about the future of the Riverland and Mallee. They are about the future upskilling of what they will present, the benefit they will present to their local community. I ask the minister to clarify the future vision of the apprenticeship program, ensuring that the individual education and vocational needs of our local students and the sustainability of our regional communities are catered for under any proposed changes to the existing scheme.

The uncertainty that the education system is providing to South Australian schools, apprenticeships and training provisions at the moment is very, very concerning. Again, we see the Minister for Education blaming the federal government. We see the shadow minister for education telling the minister, the Premier, the Deputy Premier—all of the government side—not to play games with children. Do not play games with education in South Australia, particularly in regional South Australia.