Regional Vocational Education and Training

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (14:59): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development regarding regional vocational education and training.

Leave granted.

The Hon. B.R. HOOD: The opposition has been advised that Mount Gambier has just a 0.6 FTE electrical trades lecturer, and that in March this year up to 20 local Mount Gambier TAFE electrical apprentices had their final assessments, their Capstone test, postponed. Electrical apprentices cannot be licensed until they pass their Capstone test. To date, no rescheduling has been communicated to the affected apprentices. My questions to the minister are:

1. Is the minister aware of the issues within Mount Gambier TAFE regarding its capacity to deliver final assessments for apprentices?

2. If so, what discussions has she had with the Minister for Education, Training and Skills to ensure that regional apprentices are assessed in a timely manner?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:00): This is not an issue that has been specifically raised with me. I am happy to talk with the Minister for Education, Training and Skills in the other place and see whether it has been raised with him. However, I think it is probably worth pointing out that the demand for all trades, including trades lecturers, is very high here in South Australia and across the country, so it certainly is difficult to obtain the necessary skills, which is why there is such an investment by the Malinauskas Labor government into trades, the tech colleagues, the TAFEs, and so on.