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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-02-16 Daily Xml
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SKILLS FOR ALL

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:28): My question is for the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills. Can the minister inform the house about state government initiatives to improve the skill levels of South Australians and to promote dynamic and demand-driven vocational education and training in our state?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:28): I thank the member for Reynell, who I know has a very, very deep interest in vocational education and training, especially the adult and community education sector. She is a very strong advocate for that. As members would be aware, the state government's Skills for All reform of our vocational education and training system has committed $194 million over six years to support 100,000 additional training places from 2010-11. To achieve these additional training places, we will need a vocational education system that responds to the needs of individuals, businesses and industry. We need more South Australians to be ready for high skilled jobs now and in the future. I am pleased to inform the house that under their Skills for All reforms more than 1,400 TAFE courses will be fully or partially subsidised, including about 600 extra courses not currently funded.

One of the most significant changes to our TAFE system is that most nationally-recognised certificate I and II level courses on the subsidised training list will be free for students. Students will not have to pay a tuition fee for those courses. This will maximise opportunities for people who want to enter training and who have no previous qualifications. This will not result in an across-the-board fee increase in certificate III and IV. The cost of some level III and IV courses will stay the same, some will be reduced and some will be increased.

Those level III and IV courses which are identified as being a priority, where there is an identified need for more people with those skills, will receive a subsidy of around 80 per cent. For many of the key trades there will be no increase in fees and, in some cases, there will be lower fees. To be clear, under the Skills for All reforms there will be a 100 per cent subsidy for certificates I and II, an 80 per cent subsidy on average for certificates III and IV and a 70 per cent subsidy on average for diplomas and advanced diplomas. The state government has also today released draft legislation for public consultation to establish TAFE SA as a statutory authority. This legislation will be one of the key initiatives under the state government's Skills for All reform.

TAFE SA is also already recognised for the quality of its training, employment outcomes, student satisfaction and the highest level of course completions compared with other states. The establishment of TAFE SA as a statutory authority will give it the autonomy to dynamically respond to employment opportunities for South Australians, along with the training and skills needs of industry and business. Importantly, TAFE will continue to have a valuable and critical role in meeting the skills needs of our state, and it will continue to operate in public ownership.

As a statutory authority, TAFE SA will have the opportunity to dynamically grow in a much stronger demand-driven training market. Public consultation on the draft legislation will be open until midnight on 11 March 2012. The draft bill and supporting information, including how to make a submission, are available for download on www.dfeest.sa.gov.au/skillsforall. Submissions can be made by email, post or by using the TAFE SA Bill 2000 online feedback form. I look forward to the community consultation of the draft bill to provide the community, industry, TAFE SA staff and unions that represent TAFE SA staff the opportunity for further comment and input prior to its introduction into parliament.

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