Vocational Education and Training

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (14:42): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills a question about vocational education and training.

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS: The Commission of Audit released its report on 1 May 2014, and so far many of the recommendations have caused much anguish and concern to the people of South Australia. Can the minister explain to the chamber the likely impact of recommendations relating to vocation, education and training?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:43): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. I certainly agree with the honourable member that the release of the report has raised many concerns from large sections of our community. It has raised significant concerns for most of us, and one would be hard pressed to find a section of the community that would not be simply worried sick about the recommendations contained in that Commission of Audit report. Whether they be aged pensioners, workers, families in receipt of family payment benefits, people on the land dependent on things like fuel rebates, young people, people with a disability, industry and exporters or university students—all are feeling incredibly anxious and distressed about the implications of those recommendations contained in that audit report.

We know that the federal Liberal government agenda is to make deep cuts. It has made clear signals about dismantling our NDIS, our Medicare system—eating into basic and fundamental services that support the basic needs of many, many people in our community.

It can be difficult to rank these appalling recommendations, but of particular concern in my area of responsibility are the recommendations that attack the very fabric of vocational education and training, in particular, the abolition of the commonwealth vocational education and training programs, including support for pensioners.

I am advised that, if these recommendations were realised, it could mean the Abbott Liberal government would rip out anything up to $74.6 million, perhaps even more, from young people looking to gain a trade qualification, people looking to upskill and people wanting to gain recognised qualifications. If this money was removed, it could have significant implications for our youth at a time when the full-time youth unemployment figures (that's leaving out students, and I talked about this yesterday) were 6.2 per cent in February of this year, and that actually fell to 4.4 per cent in March this year, which is below the national average. As I said, I commented on that yesterday.

Some of the programs that assist young people gaining skills and finding employment that the audit commission explicitly recommends abolishing are things like the National Workforce Development Fund and apprenticeship incentives. The commission's other recommendations mean that Skills Connect, workplace literacy and apprentice support programs and the Joint Group Training Program are all likely to be targeted adversely.

That is appalling, Mr President—absolutely appalling—but I am advised it doesn't even stop there. They want to abolish the Enterprise Solutions Program, they want to abolish the Small Business Advisory Services program, and they want to abolish the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. They are all earmarked to go. The Abbott government-commissioned report wants to shift responsibility for programs to the states but doesn't talk about transferring the revenue.

The good news for South Australians is that this Labor Weatherill government will stand up for South Australians. We are not afraid to fight for the interests of South Australians, and we have the courage and the fortitude to stand up to these Liberal governments that seek to undermine the very fabric of our society.

While the Abbott government commissions reports that recommend slashing $74.6 million for vocational education and apprenticeships, this Labor government has a $120 million strategy to support people into training, gaining new skills and jobs. We will always stand up for training, skills and jobs and for South Australians. That is in our DNA, whereas slashing and burning is in the DNA of the Liberal Party.

That is why this Labor government has invested heavily in our jobs plan and Skills for All, a training program that supports all state government strategic priorities, in that a skilled workforce underpins the achievement of social and economic development. Skills for All has attracted over 200 Skills for All training providers, offering more than 900 courses to South Australians, and in 2013 Skills for All funded 134,900 course enrolments, attracting more people to training and generating an increase on the 84,300 enrolments in 2012. This meant approximately 50,000 additional enrolments in government-funded courses—an additional 50,000 enrolments.

We won't stop there. Over the next three years, our jobs plan will support more than 14,000 people to find work in their local communities. We will support 20,000 South Australians without a job or a formal qualification, while the Abbott Liberal government has a report that gives them a mandate to slash support to industry and business and the people of South Australia. This Labor government will continue to build a stronger South Australia in partnership with industry, in partnership with business, in partnership with the not-for-profit sector and in partnership with the people and communities of South Australia.