Adult Community Education

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:38): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills a question about adult community education (ACE).

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS: It can be very difficult for people to find and keep jobs if they have low levels of education or they have low levels of skill in using new technology. Can the minister advise the chamber of funding provided to assist with adult community education to help people with these foundation skills?

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) (15:39): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. It is true that the adult community education (ACE) programs are a gateway through which many people with low education levels or those with low levels of digital literacy can participate in learning and training.

ABS data in 2006 identified that over half a million South Australians between 15 and 74 years of age failed to meet the literacy and numeracy levels required to meet the demands of work and life. Often these people consider vocational education and training and university to be out of their reach.

Adult community education is a vital first step or starting point for people to see their potential and ability to learn new skills and to participate in training. That is why this government recognised the importance of this link to learning and committed some $11.7 million between 2010 and 2016 to assist adults who find themselves in this position to participate in learning and training. I am pleased to advise the chamber that around 1,500 people a year participate in ACE programs in their local communities.

In the 2013-14 year, $2.5 million was provided for Adult Community Education Foundation Skills grants, supporting people in both accredited and non-accredited training. This funding also supports community centre staff and volunteers to undertake skills training to build their professional capacity to deliver foundation skills. In 2014-15 the ACE grants program has awarded around $800,000 to 26 adult community education providers across the state. This amount of funding equates to roughly 1,800 training places to boost things like reading, writing, numeracy and computer skills in both accredited and non-accredited training. This training is designed to improve the skill levels of adults who face social and economic barriers to move into high-level training and to improve their prospects of finding a job.

I am pleased to advise the chamber that some of the selected organisations include the Hutt St Centre based here in the city, in the Barossa region, the Hewett Community Function Centre and Lutheran Community Care, the Eyre Futures Organised for Life program, in Port Augusta, UnitingCare Wesley, and in the Murray Mallee region, Loxcare—just to name a few. I congratulate all of the community-based groups that have been successful in achieving grants this year and look forward to hearing about their progress throughout the year.

This Labor government is committed to supporting South Australians who might be missing out on jobs because they lack foundation skills such as literacy, numeracy and digital literacy. That is why we fund adult community education programs and that is why this year’s budget awarded an additional $1.9 million over the next four years to the adult education sector. It included Don’t Overlook Mature Expertise (DOME), $600,000, to assist over 1,200 older workers, with a target of around 600 employment outcomes.

Community Centres of South Australia will be provided with $1.1 million to assist people who have never worked or studied to learn foundation skills and to get job ready, and the University of the Third Age will be funded $250,000 to support the vital work they do in the community by marketing their programs and purchasing much-needed equipment.

Again, it is disappointing that while this state Labor government looks to provide more avenues to learning and training the federal Liberal budget is set to make savage cuts to the training sector. As I have said, around $154 million is to be taken out of our VET system over the next four to five years. This equates to around 20,000 training places lost—equivalent to 20,000 training places that will be defunded, that will not be available in South Australia or to those South Australians who want to improve their skills and better their chances of getting a job. And what have those opposite done about this? What have they done? Nothing—nothing but stony silence on this issue, stony, weak-kneed silence.

Make no mistake, this government will work with industry and businesses, community groups and local communities to help to provide opportunities for South Australians to participate in learning and training so that they can put themselves in the best possible position to find a job, to keep a job and to improve their skill base.