House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Industry Skills Councils Industry Skills Councils Mr ELLIS House of Assembly Narungga Industry Skills Councils Mr ELLIS (Narungga) (14:54): My question is to the Minister for Industry and Skills. Can the minister please update the house on the new Industry Skills Councils? The Hon. D.G. PISONI House of Assembly Unley Minister for Industry and Skills Industry Skills Councils The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Industry and Skills) (14:54): Yes, I can, and I thank the member for Narungga for his interest in the progress that the government is making in changing the skills process— The Hon. S.C. Mullighan interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The member for Lee will cease interjecting. He is on two warnings. The Hon. D.G. PISONI House of Assembly The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —and skills training emphasis on skills here in South Australia. The Marshall government has revitalised the Training and Skills Commission and re-established Industry Skills Councils. Why do we have to re-establish them? Because that mob over there closed them down. As part of their cuts to vocational education, they closed them down. They closed the avenue for those who are making decisions about the provision of training here in South Australia—their connection with industry. They closed it down. They closed it down in some mean-spirited pursuit of the private sector when it came to being involved in vocational education here in South Australia. We are rebuilding the South Australian training system, and we are aligning training investment with industry priorities—a novelty in South Australia, a novelty which will become a matter of fact in South Australia ensuring a skilled future workforce critical for South Australia's economic growth. Our reforms will provide more South Australians with opportunities for training and skills development leading to rewarding lifelong careers. The South Australian Training and Skills Commission will provide independent industry-led advice on skills and workforce development across sectors directly to government. Industries will now have a direct voice, a direct line, to the $203 million of extra money that is being spent on skills training here in South Australia under the Skilling South Australia program. The revitalised commission, chaired by Michael Boyce OAM, will comprise the chairs of the newly established eight Industry Skills Councils to advise the government on workforce development needs. Remember, that advice is coming straight from industry: from industry leaders, from their managers, right down to the factory floor. Right down to the factory floor that advice will be coming from. New commission appointments commenced on 1 January this year. The eight Industry Skills Councils are: construction, mining and energy. Marie Paterson is the chair of that council; defence, aerospace, IT and cybersecurity, chaired by Andy Keogh; agribusiness, chaired by Amy Williams; transport and manufacturing, chaired by Steve Shearer; food, wine, tourism and hospitality, chaired by Sally Neville; health, disability, community services and aged care, chaired by Juanita Walker; creative industries, business and digital platforms, chaired by Dino Rossi—a brand-new area. There are enormous opportunities for young people in South Australia in those digital and creative industries, and the government is right behind those industries here in South Australia; education and service sector, chaired by Adrienne Nieuwenhuis; and regional representation, chaired by Steven Griffiths and Maree Wauchope. There are four members representing regional South Australia in the new Industry and Skills Councils because the regions matter to the Marshall government here in South Australia. We want to deliver more opportunity for young people in our regions here in South Australia. Broad consultation has been undertaken through the eight industry round tables and industry leaders meetings were held to inform the re-establishment of the Industry Skills Councils and the revitalisation of the Training and Skills Commission. A public expression of interest process calling for members of the new Industry Skills Councils commenced last year and closed on 5 February, and over 150 applications were received. The Training and Skills Commission, together with the industry leaders, are currently assessing the applications.