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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-02-10 Daily Xml
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VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Mrs GERAGHTY (Torrens) (15:04): I ask the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education to tell the house how South Australia is performing in the area of vocational education and training.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Treasurer, Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education) (15:04): I thank the member for Torrens for her question. It is an important question, and I know of her keen interest in matters of vocational education and training.

I am pleased to inform the house that the Australian Bureau of Statistics has released its latest report into educational work data for South Australia. The report shows positive figures in the vocational education and training sector, suggesting that this trend is expected to continue. Data from the publication is used to report against a number of VET targets and performance indicators included in the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development, related national partnerships and other national reports.

In nearly all cases, South Australian figures performed better in 2010 than in 2009. The report shows a reduction in 2010 of the proportion of South Australians aged between 20 and 64 years who do not have a qualification at certificate 3 level or above. The report also shows that the proportion of the South Australian labour force with qualifications achieved beyond high school increased from 52.9 per cent in 2005 to 58.9 per cent in 2010, a significant increase of 6 per cent.

These figures back the South Australian government's objective of ensuring high quality vocational education and training delivered by South Australian TAFE institutes, private registered training organisations and adult community education providers. The ABS report is particularly encouraging given the state government's $194 million promise to deliver 100,000 training places to boost the skills and qualifications of our workforce and to assist in the creation of 100,000 new jobs over the next six years.

Further, today I released the Skills for All white paper as the new direction for vocational education and training. The message from our community consultation was very clear: South Australia's training system needs to be simpler and easier to access. I am confident that through Skills for All the South Australian vocational education and training sector will be transformed to be more responsive to the needs of students in the industry and better linked to schools and universities. Once implemented, Skills for All will mean more people in training, more choice of training providers, better skills, more jobs and a stronger economy. Whether you are a school leaver, a mum returning to work or a worker who is looking for a better job, the South Australian government is going to back you with the training that you need.

Additionally, Skills for All coincides with an investment from the government of more money than ever before into TAFE SA through a $200 million investment in new facilities and campus upgrades, including the $125 million for the new sustainable industries education centre at Tonsley.

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