Ministerial Statement

Skilling Australians Fund

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Innovation and Skills) (14:02): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: The Marshall Liberal government has again achieved its targets under the Skilling Australians Fund National Partnership Agreement in the second year of the Skilling South Australia program.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The minister has leave.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Under the Skilling Australians Fund agreement with the commonwealth, South Australia has achieved 100 per cent of the second year of its funding—that is for the 2019-20 year—of $20.1 million under the national partnership agreement. South Australia reported full achievement against the 2019-20 performance benchmarks and milestones including:

apprentice and trainee commencements;

pre-apprenticeships and pre-traineeships; and

higher apprenticeships.

Milestones achieved include the development and rollout of:

a training provider development program;

industry sector plans;

a skills advisory service;

communications and marketing strategy;

student supports; and

employer supports and incentives.

These measures and milestones are agreed with the commonwealth, and recent discussions recognise the importance of continuing to work in partnership to back skilled careers and adjusting to the impacts of COVID-19.

Full achievement of these performance benchmarks and milestones comes on the back of last week's excellent results. The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) last week reported South Australia has yet again recorded nation-leading growth in apprenticeships and traineeships, with the latest national training data for the December quarter 2019 showing a 13.8 per cent increase in paid training commencements for the year ending 31 December 2019, compared to the previous year.

South Australia recorded the largest percentage increase in the nation, while nationally commencements declined by 3.6 per cent for the same period. For the quarter ending December 2019, South Australia achieved a 9.3 per cent increase in apprentices and trainees, while every other state recorded a decline, illustrated by a 14.8 per cent decrease nationally. South Australia also recorded the largest increase of any state or territory for the number of apprentices and trainees in training as of 31 December 2019, with a 9.1 per cent increase compared to a national decline of 1.6 per cent.

Other highlights for South Australia in the NCVER data include a 114 per cent increase in commencements for mature age apprentices and trainees. These are people over the age of 45, Mr Speaker—some years away for you, but many in this chamber are around that mark. This demonstrated a transition to new roles and sectors as older workers upskill or retrain. This is crucial.

In addition, data shows a 22 per cent increase in female commencements in apprenticeships and traineeships and a 90.8 per cent increase in apprentice and trainee commencements who are existing workers, showing that Skilling South Australia is allowing people to upskill for their existing roles or re-train for roles in other growing sectors of our economy.

It is no secret that Australians these days will have more than one career in their lifetime. As a matter of fact, they can have up to a dozen careers in their lifetime. It is important that they are skilled for those changes as the economy changes. From a standing start, this is a 407 per cent increase in commencements for higher level qualifications at diploma and advanced diploma level apprenticeships. This is crucial for the defence industry here in South Australia.

The Marshall Liberal government's Skilling South Australia program is delivering these results. Growth in paid skills training translates into more jobs and lasting careers in new and expanding industries for South Australians while meeting the needs of industry as our economy continues to transition to the high growth sectors of defence, space, advanced manufacturing, high tech, and the health and medical industries.

The success of Skilling South Australia has been built by government working with industry through significant reforms and the re-establishment of industry skills councils to shape the bespoke projects that employers and industries want to meet their skills needs. Training and skills development underpin economic growth and industry diversification as part of our reforms to ensure a skilled workforce.

Legislation will soon be introduced to update the Training and Skills Development Act. The emphasis of skills and training at a national level is terrific. How good is our Prime Minister—lifting apprenticeships and traineeships to his office. Our reforms to promote and streamline training and workforce development form a key part of economic recovery.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order, Mr Speaker: there were a couple of tables attached to that ministerial statement and the minister has not sought leave to table them, so I ask that he reads them into the record.

The SPEAKER: I think the minister sought leave to make the statement.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: I sought leave to present the ministerial statement, sir.

The SPEAKER: I imagine the minister is happy to insert the tables?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Certainly, sir.

The SPEAKER: For the avoidance of any doubt, does the minister have leave to insert the tables?

Leave granted.

The SPEAKER: The minister will insert the tables.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I was just clarifying. Thank you, member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: It's all too much for him, sir.

The SPEAKER: I thank the member for West Torrens for his encouragement. The issue has been resolved and we will now move on.

Table 1: Commencements in the 12 months ending, and the change from the previous 12 months, by State, Territory and Nationally

Notes: 1. All numbers have been rounded to the nearest five. Rounding can lead to situations where the numbers might not add to the rounded totals. 2. Percentages presented in this table are calculated on non-rounded numbers. 3. State rankings are calculated on non-rounded percentage changes.

Table 2: Commencements in the quarter and the change from the quarter a year earlier, by State, Territory and Nationally

Notes: 1. All numbers have been rounded to the nearest five. Rounding can lead to situations where the numbers might not add to the rounded totals. 2. Percentages presented in this table are calculated on non-rounded numbers. 3. State rankings are calculated on non-rounded percentage changes.