Skills for Jobs in Regions

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (16:08): Thank you, Mr President; firstly, I congratulate you on your elevation to the presidency of this chamber. I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills a question about skills development.

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS: We know that people with higher level qualifications are more likely to gain employment and earn more. Can the minister inform the chamber about the programs the government is funding across regions of South Australia to help people find work in their local communities?

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) (16:09): I thank the honourable member for his question. With the support of $9.5 million in state government funding, more than 8,000 people across South Australian regions will develop their skills to access local job opportunities. The funding provided though the Skills for Jobs in Regions program, an initiative of this government's jobs and skills policy, aims to increase the state's skilled workforce and create more employment opportunities.

Skills for Jobs in Regions prepares and connects jobseekers and displaced workers to jobs identified by employers and industry in their area. As part of the commitment, funds will also be invested in career transition services which equip people with the skills to transition from learning to training and to work.

Our aim is to place up to 14,000 people across the state into jobs within their local communities over the next three years, by delivering tailored employment projects that respond to local, regional workforce needs. In total, we have allocated $9.5 million during 2013-14 to support 170 projects across 17 regions. Some of the projects that are being delivered include:

Southern Flinders/Far North/Whyalla—Building Family Opportunities, which provides professional and practical whole-of-life services to enable jobless families to break the cycle of long-term and intergenerational joblessness;

Northern Adelaide—the Aboriginal Garden Blitz, which provides a live training site for Aboriginal people to gain a Certificate II in Horticulture and simulated work experience while renovating a Housing SA property;

Yorke Peninsula—Agriculture and Mining Pathways, which supports job seekers in gaining skills for working in the agriculture and mining industries. The project provides participants with skill sets and employability skills to open up employment options into growth areas in the region;

Murraylands—Community Support provides job seekers with a direct link to job opportunities in the health and community services (disability support) industry. The project combines non-accredited training, accredited training, case management and work placement opportunities within the three main disability support services to transition people into work;

Southern Adelaide—Plus One Cadre, which assists young people, long-term unemployed job seekers, mature-aged retrenched workers, and Aboriginal people into traineeships, apprenticeships and other employment opportunities. The project works with 18 local businesses and tourism associations in the southern Adelaide region to match job seekers with job opportunities;

Southern Childcare/Home and Community Care transitions people into work who have completed Certificate III in Aged Care and Home and Community Care Work. The project works with employers to deliver value-adding skills such as patient care, manual handling and drug administration, workshops in personal presentation, customer service, self-esteem and self-confidence to build employability skills.

There are many other examples I could give but, given the unlimited question time today, I will save those for another occasion. Unlike those opposite, this government went to the election with a plan for the future and that is why we have invested, and will continue to invest, in training and skills.