Noarlunga TAFE

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (15:54): I have a supplementary question. I look forward to contacting them with the invite from the minister. My supplementary question is: is the agenda of this government to effectively destroy TAFE in South Australia?

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) (15:54): That is an absolute nonsense. TAFE SA is South Australia's leading public VET training facility, and it has a well-established reputation and track record for providing quality training outcomes, which we are very proud of.

The TAFE budget has remained fairly constant around $200 million over the last number of years, and that is in spite of a very heavy impost on us to make savings, and TAFE has to share in those responsibilities as well. But there is still a significantly large public funding contribution to TAFE SA, and we continue, as I have said, to hold TAFE SA in extremely high regard as our primary public provider and as a quality institution.

On my most recent trip to Malaysia and India, we worked very hard to sign a number of MOUs with international partners which hold TAFE in extremely high regard and which are looking to partner with TAFE in terms of increasing international training initiatives. I was incredibly proud just to see firsthand the enormous regard that TAFE SA is held in those two countries I visited, and I know China as well, and the incredible quality reputation it has internationally.

We are striving very hard to expand that international training market with TAFE SA; it is well positioned to do that. There were, I think, three MOUs which were signed on just this one last visit, which could result in significant future partnerships for TAFE in that space.