Skills Training

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (14:34): My question is to the Minister for Innovation and Skills. Can the minister update the house on how the Marshall Liberal government is supporting South Australia's economic recovery by growing our skilled workforce?

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Innovation and Skills) (14:34): I thank the member for Colton for his question. He is very kind. He knows I love speaking about apprenticeships and traineeships and skills here in South Australia. Of course, South Australia's economic prosperity is underpinned by a skilled workforce. It's critical that we have workers with the skills that industry needs. Over the past two years, the Marshall government has successfully rebuilt South Australia's training system, delivering critical skills training to more South Australians.

As per my ministerial statement earlier, we have again achieved our targets under the Skilling Australians Fund National Partnership Agreement with the Morrison government, and we have received the full payment of $20.1 million. I must say what a pleasure it is to work with the minister, Senator Cash. She gets it. She understands what needs to be done to increase Australia's skills base, and we are very pleased as a state that we are leading the nation.

Did I mention the figure of 13.8 per cent earlier? There was a 13.8 per cent growth in the number of apprentices and trainees through the year up to December last year, compared with the same period last year, and nationally there was a decline of 3.6 per cent, so I think we have proven the model. The Skilling South Australia model works. Other interesting statistics to come out of the NCVER data, particularly in the different cohorts of training, are the mature age apprentices and trainees, with a 114 per cent increase. What this is showing is that we are preparing—

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: If the minister could be seated for one moment, I am anticipating that the point of order is for public information that is already available.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: No, but that is another one—well, thank you, sir, I am much obliged. I was going to cite standing order 128: repetition. He is even reading from the same ministerial statement.

The SPEAKER: Well, repetition is definitely bogus, but what I may do is draw the house to the fact that the minister may utilise some of the information that he has provided to the house a short time ago; however, I am confident that he will also furnish other information that isn't available to the house. I will listen carefully and I will decide whether I need to step in, and I thank the member for Lee. The Minister has the call.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: I think that it's more the case that they don't like to hear good news. I like to talk about things that are good, things that are happening in South Australia and the achievements of this government because I'm proud of the achievements of this government. I think that the important thing about the mature age apprenticeships—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Cheltenham!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: —is that we recognise that there are many South Australians over the age of 45 who had very valuable skills 10, 20 or 30 years ago. The economy has changed. Those skill requirements have changed, and we have been in partnership with industry making sure that those South Australians are learning those new skills, acquiring those new skills and being paid to do so. It is a tremendous change in the attitudes to more mature South Australians than we saw under the previous government.

There has been a 22 per cent increase in female commencements in apprenticeships and traineeships. We know that has always been an ambition of governments, employers and unions, and here we have the Minister for Innovation and Skills uniting employers and unions—in this case, in increasing the number of women in apprenticeships and traineeships.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Aboriginal participation increased by 6.3 per cent in Indigenous training commencements and higher apprenticeships was 407 per cent. New projects developing future leaders, this was supporting Indigenous workers to progress their careers through the Diploma of Leadership and Management, and this is a higher apprenticeship pathway. Aboriginal participants were supported into the health services industry through HenderCare.

The project includes Aboriginal mentors to provide guidance, support and assistance, and 30 women affected by domestic violence will be supported into paid traineeships in Certificate III in Business Traineeships with Complete Personnel. Of course, Aboriginal jobseekers have also been identified to participate in this program. The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation will partner with SA Local Health Networks to recruit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants to undertake a Certificate III in Individual Support.

We have delivered more skills funding to expand subsidies and more courses in line with the needs of employers. Gone are the days when bureaucrats made those decisions: industry is making those decisions.