MARLESTON TAFE

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:35): Last week on Tuesday 22 June I was pleased to represent the Hon. Jack Snelling in his capacity as Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education on the occasion of the visit of His Excellency Dr Jose Ramos-Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, to the Marleston College of TAFE.

As honourable members would be aware, South Australia has a close relationship with Timor-Leste and continues to play an important role in providing targeted development assistance over a number of years. This relationship was formalised during the President's visit to South Australia with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to underpin cooperation between the two jurisdictions on strengthening Timor-Leste's public service, providing assistance in the areas of vocational education and training, and in sustainability and climate change. These include projects undertaken in partnership with the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and bilaterally with various state agencies.

Since 2008 South Australia has been in partnership with AusAID on two capacity-building programs in Timor-Leste: the East Timor Basic Skills Training Project and the East Timor Public Sector Capacity Development Program. As the Premier recently told the parliament:

In partnership with AusAID, South Australia is midway through a three-year capacity-building program to help with the development of vital infrastructure and employment in Timor-Leste.

Our basic skills project, designed to train approximately 600 young people in basic construction skills, has already graduated about 120 young people with work-ready basic trade skills in such areas as concrete laying, bricklaying, metal fabrication, carpentry, joinery, masonry and plumbing. Each graduate received, as well as their diploma, a toolkit equipped with the tools of trade to their particular trade area. Over 40 per cent of these graduates are already employed in local jobs. This is being accomplished by first up-skilling selected Timor-Leste trainers in construction industry training delivery and then transferring the skills to others through a 'train the trainer' process.

Both Aus-Training International and TAFE SA are key elements of this training effort and, for that reason, the Timor-Leste delegation visited our TAFE SA facility at Marleston to meet with some of the educators that are involved.

There is also a curriculum development component to this project which ensures that the training curriculum is responsive to local emerging industry needs as well as the needs of young unemployed people including those who may be more vulnerable.

Another important aspect of the project is establishing, through industry and the community, work experience training and employment placement opportunities. Throughout the duration of the project, TAFE advisers will provide ongoing mentoring and support to ensure that the momentum is maintained. The model is widely acknowledged as very effective, and an extension to the AusAID contract has been sought to enable scholarships for disadvantaged students, to include skills training in the finishing trades—for example, painting and plastering—and also to extend training opportunities to young people in regions outside Dili which do not have vocational education and training facilities (Oecussi, Ainaro and Suoi).

Acting as the nominated project manager, TAFE has released five TAFE SA lecturing staff as technical advisers for the purpose of conducting the Timor-Leste Basic Skills Project construction training courses. TAFE staff members Paul Klepczynski, Educational Manager, along with Brian Gepp, Terry Dolman, Gary Stewart and Grant Kinsman, have visited Timor-Leste in their capacity as technical advisers.

I am told that, given his previous technical and associated familiarity with the operations of Dom Bosco Technical Trade School, TAFE SA International has nominated Paul Klepczynski as its preferred nominee to undertake the Timor-Leste Basic Skills Training Project Phase 2 Mentorship on behalf of DFEEST.

It was a pleasure to hear and then find reported the President saying that, while he had 'argued' for several years that Australia should help with vocational training, it was the South Australian Premier who listened and set up the skills training project with funding from both the state and federal governments. It is heartening, not just for us as politicians but also for committed public servants, to hear the comments made by the President that it is one of the best, most practical contributions Australia and, in particular, the state of South Australia, can provide. It was a pleasure to represent minister Snelling at the visit of the President of Timor-Leste to the Marleston College of TAFE.