Mount Gambier TAFE

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:15): My question is to the Minister for Education, Training and Skills. Can the minister advise if the Mount Gambier TAFE has enough staff to train South-East electrical apprentices? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The opposition has been advised that Mount Gambier has a 0.6 electrical trades lecturer and that in March up to 20 local electrical apprentices had their final assessments, their capstone tests, postponed. Electrical apprentices cannot be licensed until they have passed their capstone test. To date, no rescheduling has been communicated to the affected apprentices.

The Hon. B.I. BOYER (Wright—Minister for Education, Training and Skills) (14:16): I thank the member for Morialta for the question. Yes, I am aware of this. TAFE in the South-East, not unlike many organisations at the moment, is finding it difficult to recruit staff. There are some vacancies there that TAFE is in the market to try to fill, and they include for those lecturing staff who would be undertaking the capstone exam, which is the final assessment which is undertaken by those students so they can finish their electrotechnology course. TAFE is working with those students in terms of being able to support them financially with travel so they can come to the Regency TAFE campus in the meantime to be able to complete their capstone exam and therefore complete their qualification.

Obviously, it is not an ideal situation, but we are of course in the midst of a national skills crisis, and no-one is immune from that. TAFE is not immune from that either, but we are doing what we can in terms of trying to fill the vacancies, which of course is the long-term solution. As I said, TAFE is in the market now to try to do that but also support those students who might be affected by virtue of not being able to undertake their capstone exam in the South-East to come to the metropolitan area and do it at one of the TAFE campuses here.