Skills Training

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (14:45): Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Innovation and Skills. Can the minister update the house on how the state government is supporting training and employment for South Australians? With your leave and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr CREGAN: In July, the shadow minister for jobs, who is also the Leader of the Opposition, held a press conference with an electrical apprentice to support the opposition's views on the state government's $12.9 billion infrastructure spend and the impacts of COVID-19 on South Australia's workforce.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI (Unley—Minister for Innovation and Skills) (14:46): I thank the member for Kavel for his interest in vocational education and training. Yes, I did see that press conference on the Sunday night news, and I was motivated—not motivated to exploit Anthony Cahill like the Leader of the Opposition was; I was motivated to find him a job, and I did.

I contacted PEER Training on Port Road because I noticed they had jobs advertised; they were looking for electrical apprentices. So I contacted PEER, they confirmed they were looking for applicants and my office then contacted Anthony Cahill and encouraged him to apply. And guess what? He got the job.

I met Anthony just last month. He was in there on one of his induction days. He was having a ball and very pleased with the opportunity that the government's Skilling South Australia program had given him. The government's emphasis on growing the economy here in South Australia has given him a brand-new job—a job that was taken away from him just a couple of years earlier, reinstated by the Marshall government with the policies that we're putting in place to train South Australians.

It beggars belief that the opposition were unaware of the job vacancies for electrical apprentices at PEER. I suggest trying Twitter: @PEER7027; they advertise their jobs all the time on PEER. The opposition leader's choice to exploit Anthony's situation rather than assist him in getting a job says a lot about the character of the Leader of the Opposition. He's more interested in his job. He failed his first test as the shadow minister for jobs, Mr Speaker.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Before I call the member for Mount Gambier, I remind members that question time is your time to ask questions and to seek answers. It is appropriate that that be done in silence with respect to both the questioner and the answerer. The Minister for Energy and Mining, a point of order?

The Hon. D.C. VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Mr Speaker, before you call the member for Mount Gambier, I bring to your attention that I don't think the Minister for Innovation and Skills has actually finished his answer yet.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: If I am in error—I rather anticipated the—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The Minister for Innovation and Skills was moving around to some extent. I may have misinterpreted a movement as being the commencement of sitting down. If there is some conclusion that the minister needs to make, the minister has the call.

The Hon. D.G. PISONI: Thank you, sir; I do get quite animated and I apologise for that. I can't speak for the Leader of the Opposition. I can't explain why it is that he didn't pass that information on to Anthony Cahill and help that young man get a job, but I was very pleased to help out because that's what I'm paid to do. I am a servant of the people. I am not here to serve myself, like the Leader of the Opposition.

Of course, the Marshall Liberal government, in stark contrast, is ensuring that more South Australians are skilled and able to work in rewarding employment. More important than ever is our transitioning economy, particularly post COVID-19. Over the last month—the Premier touched on this earlier—13,400 jobs returned to South Australia and 34,000 jobs over the last three months. More people have confidence now to return to the workforce. We have participation rates up at similar levels to what they were before COVID hit. This is a great sign of the confidence that people in South Australia have that there are opportunities returning after COVID.

Of course, South Australia achieved the highest participation rate in the nation in the last figures. In training data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research from last year to March, we saw a 12 per cent increase. This is not a point in time; this is a whole year—a whole year of growth in apprenticeships and training. It is 12 per cent growth compared to a nearly 8 per cent decline nationally, so South Australia is leading the nation. We have a 20 per cent lead on the rest of the nation when it comes to apprenticeship and traineeship commencements.

These are paid-to-learn opportunities. People are being paid to learn these skills the industry needs. If you don't want to support people taking up trades, like Anthony Cahill, you need a pipeline of work if you want to support those people. Whether it's defence, whether it's civil construction, energy or mining, all these areas create well-paying jobs. A risk to the job pipeline here in South Australia, of course, is the opposition's opposition to the New South Wales-South Australia interconnector.

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister's time has expired.