House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1) 54 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Apprenticeships and Traineeships Apprenticeships and Traineeships The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON House of Assembly Ramsay Apprenticeships and Traineeships The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay) (14:33): My question is to the Minister for Innovation and Skills. Why is the minister including short courses, some of which last as little as four weeks, in the overall apprenticeship and traineeship numbers? The Hon. D.G. PISONI House of Assembly Unley Minister for Innovation and Skills Apprenticeships and Traineeships The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Innovation and Skills) (14:33): Let's look at what Labor was delivering— The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order. The Hon. D.G. PISONI House of Assembly The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —prior to the election and what we are doing. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: Minister, just be seated for one moment. There appears to be a point of order. I anticipate it is for debate. The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, sir. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: It probably didn't assist that the minister began an answer in that way, which is leading the member for West Torrens to conclude that it is debate. I have the point of order. I understand why you are raising it. I will listen to the minister's answer. If he does deviate from the substance of the question and debate, then I will pull him up, but I am willing to give the minister a go. The Hon. D.G. PISONI House of Assembly The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Thank you, sir. What was released last Thursday in the NCVER figures showed what happens when you don't prepare employers and you don't prepare apprentices or trainees for apprenticeships and trainees: they don't complete. Labor's commencements that were counted in last week's NCVER figures— The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS House of Assembly The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir. The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: There's a point of order. With respect to the member for West Torrens, the point of order is for debate. I have always allowed a little bit of compare and contrast, and I am being very consistent in this, so the minister is able to relate to things that did go on under the former government, to an extent, all in a matter of context. So I will listen carefully, and I uphold my original finding. Minister. The Hon. D.G. PISONI House of Assembly The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Thank you, sir. So another fall in completions was recorded in the NCVER figures last Thursday. That is because traineeships and apprenticeships that began under the previous government weren't prepared. These apprentices and trainees weren't prepared, and even employers may have not been prepared for those apprenticeships. What we are introducing are pre-apprenticeships and pre-traineeship programs under the national partnership that we have signed with the federal government. We are counting, as part of our training targets, the same programs that the NCVER are counting.