Motor Trade Association Graduation And Awards Night

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:23): Recently, I had the pleasure of representing the Minister for Innovation and Skills at the 2019 Motor Trade Association Graduation and Apprentice Awards evening. As an event, there were 118 graduates and six awards presented, including Apprentice of the Year, the Bob Goldsworthy Award for outstanding panel beating or painting, the most outstanding MTA training centre apprentice and the most outstanding apprentices in the first, second and third years. It was a privilege to participate in the ceremony and to have the opportunity to meet some very talented men and women of all ages who I am sure will continue to make an excellent contribution to our community through their careers in our automotive industry.

The Motor Trade Association of South Australia is an employer-based organisation, comprised of 1,100 members, which has a rich history of contributing to the growth and development of our state's automotive retail service and repair sectors. As a registered training organisation, it is also the peak automotive apprentice employment and training body for the motor trade industry, delivering both accredited and non-accredited training and upskilling across a range of 14 automotive qualifications.

The MTA RTO offers innovative industry-based training that is modern and responsive to current needs, providing a direct pathway from school to employment. At present, it has over 900 apprentices in training and employs 500 people through its group training organisation. The MTA prides itself on achieving more than simply delivering units of training that will result in the attainment of formal credentials, it also seeks to ensure that its graduates have an awareness of the opportunities available through their qualifications, providing the support, resources and additional life skills needed to successfully navigate the pathway from student to a member of the workforce.

The MTA is uniquely positioned to achieve this objective via its extensive industry network and its engagement with 63 metropolitan and regional schools across the state, showcasing firsthand the many career options available to students. To this end, the MTA hosts yearly interactive expos for young South Australians and works closely with the VET teachers and career counsellors in the northern schools alliance and southern schools network.

As part of the unique training experience of the MTA, apprentices are encouraged to be part of the motorsport repair team at the Adelaide 500 and at The Bend. As a result of their involvement, some apprentices have gone on to work with supercar teams throughout Australia. The MTA also encourages its apprentices to enter various industry competitions, with one apprentice recently winning the state PPG Colour Matching Competition and going on to achieve the second place nationally.

This is certainly a testament to the exceptional support provided through the MTA training centre, as well as the hard work and dedication of its students. As you are aware, Mr President, the Marshall Liberal government's $203 million Skilling South Australia program, in partnership with the federal government, is creating an additional 20,800 apprenticeships and traineeships over four years. We are ensuring that the government training investment aligns with industry needs, leading to real jobs and new career outcomes for our young people.

As part of this program, the MTA was recently successful in securing funding for the Automotive Apprenticeship Pathways Project, a partnership between the state government and the MTA that will support 140 people commence an automotive apprenticeship. I note with interest that last year the MTA took a risk by drastically increasing the number of apprenticeships in the industry, taking on apprentices without a host employer, paying them and training them for eight weeks before securing a suitable host. This venture has evidently paid off, with the MTA continuing to grow its market share of this industry, which now sits at over 50 per cent.

The automotive industry in South Australia is estimated to be worth some $2.85 billion to our economy and provides direct employment to approximately 26,000 South Australians. It is a dynamic sector that has endured many challenges and changes in recent times and the motor trade associations have certainly played a vital role in ensuring that it continues to thrive. I take this opportunity to commend the MTA on its significant and valuable work within our community.