Vocational Education and Training

Mr TRELOAR (Flinders) (14:25): My question is to the Minister for Innovation and Skills. Can the minister update the house about the latest NCVER report released today and what information it provides about the state of South Australia's skills and training sector prior to March 2018?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Innovation and Skills) (14:26): I can answer that question. I thank the member for Flinders for his question. Today, the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research (NCVER) released their publication 'Employers' use and views of the VET system'. The report provides results of a survey undertaken every two years which measures employers' use of and satisfaction with vocational education in Australia. The report released today focuses on results from a national survey relating to employers' experiences from February to June last year, that is 2018. The results highlight just how much work we must do as a government to fix the mess that was left by those opposite. This report is—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —a story of Labor's legacy to South Australia. It is no wonder they didn't take a skills policy to the last election—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —because they were hiding from the damage that they did over their last term in office. They tossed in the towel. They gave up on the very people they came to represent.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order. Minister, be seated for one moment. The member for Waite is called to order, as is the member for Morphett. The member for West Torrens on a point of order for debate?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: No, sir. The information the minister is quoting is publicly available, as is the report. My precedent, sir, is a young, up-and-coming member for Hartley in the last parliament.

The SPEAKER: I didn't have much else to do in opposition.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: On the point of order, the precedents established by Speaker Atkinson are that reflections on publicly available material are fine.

The SPEAKER: Yes, it is a valid point of order by both the member for West Torrens and the Minister for Education. The minister would have to provide other information that is not in the public domain. I will listen attentively to ensure that he provides that information, and I'm sure he will. Minister.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: They don't want to hear it, Mr Speaker—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —because they do not want to be reminded about their record in skills training. The proportion of employers in South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left, please!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —that use the VET system—

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is warned for a second time.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —fell by 6 per cent in just two years, down to 45.3 per cent. It is the lowest rate in the country. Just 66 per cent of those who use the vocational education system believe that it assists them with the skills that they need for a job. That's Labor's legacy again. The proportion of employers in South Australia—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —who provide no training in the VET system increased by 4 per cent.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: The same point of order?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Yes, the minister is regurgitating the—

The SPEAKER: I have the point of order. I believe the minister might want to provide some facts that are in the public domain and then move on to information that is outside the public domain per the practice. I am going to make sure that that happens, or I will sit the minister down.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! I would like to hear the answer, please, members on my left.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The question was to provide the house with the information—

The SPEAKER: Yes.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —which is what I am doing. Of course, I am more than happy to answer the question for the member for Flinders. It was a very specific question. It was about providing information to the house.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Of course, that 4 per cent increase in the number of employers that don't use the VET system is the highest level in the country. We have the highest number of employers that don't use the VET system in the country—thank you to those over there.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Wright!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Just 18.7 per cent of employers had apprentices and trainees in South Australia under those opposite—the second lowest in the country—all of this over the last two years of the Labor government. Of course, we know what happened: they decimated TAFE, they decimated the private sector, they defunded the private sector, reduced TAFE staff by one-third and failed random ASQA audits. But what's happened since? First of all, we were the only party that took a skills and training policy to the election—not those opposite; they were hiding from their record.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Minister, there is a point of order. Before I hear the point of order, the member for Badcoe, I warn her. She is on two warnings, as is now the member for Lee. Point of order?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: It's debate now, sir: talking about the Labor Party and its policies is clearly debate, sir.

The SPEAKER: Yes, I have always tried to be fair and allow some compare and contrast, which I have done, but I will listen attentively.

Mr Brown: Zinger! There's a zinger!

The SPEAKER: Member for Playford, you can leave for the remainder of question time under standing order 137A, and that is without debate.

The honourable member for Playford having withdrawn from the chamber:

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: I can't possibly have been talking about the Labor Party's training policy because they didn't have one. They didn't have one in the lead-up to the election. For the first time in seven years, we have seen some green shoots in apprenticeships and trainees. In the very first full quarter of the commencement of Skilling South Australia we saw an increase in the number of trainees and apprenticeships in South Australia after seven years of decrease from those opposite.

What have we done to take on the challenge? We have rebuilt the skills and training commission, we have introduced industry skills councils, we have expanded the Subsidised Training List from 350 that we inherited to 850 now. We are responding to industry needs so that we can deliver a skilled workforce here in South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Waite is warned for imitating the member for Hammond. Member for Kaurna.