Vocational Education and Training

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (15:08): My question is to the Minister for Industry and Skills. Will the minister provide an update on the state government's commitment to implement major reforms to boost training and skills outcomes in South Australia?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Industry and Skills) (15:08): It's terrific to get that question from the member for MacKillop—from one tradesman to another tradesman—talking about skills, and that is what we are so focused on here in the Marshall government. The Marshall Liberal government took our Skilling South Australia strategy to the March election. The strategy outlines our priorities to initiate major reforms and to make significant investments to boost apprenticeships and trainees and to provide jobs for many more South Australians.

Within the first 100 days, we have substantially delivered on our commitment in the training and skills area. In addition to the Marshall Liberal government's $100 million investment to create more than 20,000 apprenticeships and traineeships over the next four years, we have successfully secured $87 million so far under the commonwealth government's Skilling Australians Fund to help meet our target. We have consulted with industry on the Subsidised Training List. I am told that it's the first time industry has been consulted on where government puts its money in vocational education.

The updated Subsidised Training List 4.0 released in May represents a significant boost to skills training in South Australia. Approximately $20 million will be invested in new training activity for non-government training providers in the 2018-19 financial year. This is an increase of around $5 million from the previous year. Critically, Mr Speaker, can I draw your attention to the fact that because of that move there are now 4,000 additional training places in the system—simply with that small move of money within the system.

The Marshall Liberal government is committed to working with stakeholders to ensure that industry has a stronger voice. We are ensuring that our investment in training is targeted to deliver skills outcomes that lead to real jobs and careers for South Australians. We have commenced consulting on the re-establishment of the industry skills councils and the revitalisation of the Training and Skills Commission. We look at that in contrast to what we have landed with after the last five years here in South Australia, when the Labor Party was in government in South Australia—some very frightening statistics. All this was happening at a time when we had the Labor Party playing politics with defence contracts here in South Australia—

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: The minister will be seated for one moment, please. Point of order.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: The minister is not responsible for Labor Party policy.

The SPEAKER: What is the point of order?

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: He is not responsible for our policies. It is not relevant, sir.

The SPEAKER: That is not a point of order, member for West Torrens.

Mr KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, it is.

The SPEAKER: One moment, while I deliberate. The minister must, however, respond to the substance of the question. Minister, I ask you to please continue doing that.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Thank you, sir. I agree. We may not be responsible for the Labor Party's policy, but we have to fix the mess, and that is what we are doing. If we look at the mess that was left, where our starting point is, significant falls were recorded over the last five years, from 2011 to 2016, in vocational education. Students at TAFE in South Australia fell by 16,500, or 26.7 per cent over the last five years. Students in non-government providers fell by 14,200, or 35.6 per cent.

In youth participation in vocational education—this is 15 to 24 year olds, that crucial age where people need to get their first job—there was a 14,700 or 35 per cent drop in the number of students participating in vocational education over the last five years. Program enrolments in government-funded qualifications fell by 36,200, or 33 per cent. But this is the killer: apprenticeship and training activity commencements in South Australia over the past five years, from 2012 to 2017, fell by 16,900, or 65 per cent.

The SPEAKER: The minister's time has expired. The member for Kaurna.