Group Training Awards

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:14): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills a question about the 2014 group training national awards.

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS: As a former board member of a group training organisation, I know how important is the contribution that group training makes to vocational education and training in our state. In particular, I know that it employs so many of our state's apprentices and trainees. Can the minister inform us about the recent high-quality achievements of South Australian apprentices and trainees employed by group training organisations in light of the 2014 group training national awards?

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) (15:15): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his ongoing interest in this particular policy area. The contribution that group training organisations make to our state's vocational education and training sector is a most important one. Apprentices and trainees employed by GTOs gain valuable work experience with a host employer and may in fact get the opportunity to work for a number of host employers during the term of their contract of training.

Group training organisations (GTOs) in South Australia are a significant employer of apprentices and trainees. They manage the paperwork and the records of the apprentices and trainees and arrange for them to attend their formal training by a registered training organisation. GTOs regularly visit workplaces to help monitor the on-the-job training of, and provide support to, trainees and apprentices and to assist with any on-the-job issues that may arise.

On 9 July 2014, His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, former governor, presented the South Australian Group Training Awards at Government House to winners of the following South Australian awards. The first one was the South Australian Group Training Apprentice of the Year, who was Mr Marcus Harders, whose GTO was PEER VEET and whose host employer was National 1 Plumbing & Maintenance Services. Mr Harders was enrolled in Certificate III in Plumbing and was the winner of this award.

The winner of the South Australian Indigenous Apprentice/Trainee of the Year, and winner of the national award, was Mrs Anika Duffy with the Career Employment Group, which was also her host employer. She is enrolled in a Diploma of Management. The South Australian Trainee of the Year, and also the finalist for the national award, was Mr Foster Davis. His GTO is Murraylands Training and Employment. He was hosted by Murray Mallee Aged Care Group while training in Certificate III in Business Administration.

The South Australian School-based Apprentice of the Year, and finalist for the national award, was Ms Sarah Voigt, employed by the Hospitality Group Training GTO and hosted by Jacob's Creek Visitor Centre. I know all members of the chamber will join me in congratulating our South Australian winners and finalists and on their achievement at the 2014 Group Training National Conference held in Hobart on 13 November last week.

At the same time as celebrating our winners, we might also reflect on the recent decision of the commonwealth government to make deep cuts to its contribution to the Joint Group Training Program scheme—part of the national partnership project agreement. In 2013-14, 16 group training organisations, which together employ and train over 20 per cent of South Australia's apprentices in traditional trades, were funded under the Joint Group Training Program. In South Australia, group training organisation apprentices are 5.7 per cent more likely to complete their apprenticeship, and that's data from the NCVER.

The total funding commitment to the program in 2013-14 was $2.5 million with the state government contributing $1.35 million. However, what is just around the corner is a 20 per cent cut by the commonwealth for the 2014-15 year, and funding by the commonwealth will cease completely to GTOs by 2015-16. Of course, this comes on top of the commonwealth's announcement of cuts to a range of vocational education and training areas. Ten VET programs will be cut in the vicinity of $1 billion over five years.

This government will continue to drive improvements in completion rates, and we will continue to support South Australians to gain new skills and to upskill. Unlike those opposite, we will continue to stand up to the federal Liberal government and attack it as it attacks our apprentices and trainees by its severe cuts to the VET program.