House of Assembly Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1) 55 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Grievance Debate Technical Colleges Technical Colleges Mrs PEARCE House of Assembly King Mrs PEARCE (King) (15:27): I am the daughter of a stevedore, the wife of a linesman, and I have mates who have some exceptional skill sets across a range of trades. Most importantly, I would be a proud mum if either of my two take up a trade. One of the things I want to help ensure during my time here is that the next generation have equal opportunities, whichever pathway they embark on. I want to do what I can to help encourage diversity within industry and support new and exciting career paths that will strengthen our economy. It is why I am proud of the technical colleges we are building, because they will help provide students with opportunities whilst also helping to foster stronger pathways for the skills of the future, the skills our state needs to be planning for now. We are at a critical moment in time when it comes to ensuring that today's students of South Australia are learning the skills they need to succeed in a world that is rapidly changing. We know that students who complete SACE have a higher chance of entering the workforce, and that it provides them with more stability as they settle into the next chapter of their life. Keeping students in school so that they can complete their SACE, learn about future career options, and train in an industry they wish to pursue is one way that technical colleges can help strengthen these opportunities and support the success and growth of our state, all whilst reflecting the needs of local industries, regions and communities, and complementing the existing offerings available through schools and registered training organisations. I have been assisting in this space where I can, because the potential that arises from these colleges is something to be really excited about. It has been great to see industry feeling the same way, and recognising the huge potential. I have not forgotten where I have come from. I know how important a role regional communities play in our economy and the strong need to create pathways for students so that they do not need to move to the city to pursue their aspirations, something I myself had to face when I finished high school. I am pleased to share that during the break I spent time in my home town to share the great potentials that will come from building a technical college in the Upper Spencer Gulf. I was at the GMUSG Summit, and I am delighted to share that keen interest was indicated by the over 400 attendees and industry representatives in attendance, attendees who represent industries that play a critical role in stimulating not only the Upper Spencer Gulf but our entire state. I understand how vital our regional communities are, as did the other members of parliament to attend the summit: the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Energy and Mining; the Minister for Regional Roads, Local Government and Veterans Affairs; and the member for Giles. We rocked up, engaged and listened to the feedback provided by those in attendance because that is what good governments do. There is no tokenism to be seen here. I know that for those colleges to succeed in meeting the needs of not only the students but also employers and the broader community, their design, their focus and their operation need to include effective industry engagement. I love the feedback that I am hearing. There is a strong desire to see an increase in diversity within our workforce, getting more women in particular involved, as well as recognition of the huge potential digital skills will play in our economy moving forward. I congratulate the Minister for Education on all of his hard work in this space and cannot wait to see these colleges up and running and the positive impact that they will make.