VET Training

The Hon. T.T. NGO (16:27): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills a question about VET training.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.T. NGO: We all know how important it is when people are awarded with a qualification that they are able to do the work that they are expected to do when applying for a job. We sometimes read in the media that some employers are not satisfied with some graduates because they did not get their proper training at school. Can the minister tell the house of any recent work undertaken by her departments to ascertain whether employers are satisfied with the skills level of new graduates?

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) (16:28): I thank the honourable member for his question. This government is committed to working closely with our partners in business and the VET sector to ensure that South Australians are trained appropriately and are job-ready to fill vacancies. Employers rightly expect that people awarded qualifications come ready to work and are trained to the required high standard.

The independent validation of assessment project was a collaboration between the Department of State Development and a peak industry body, the not-for-profit organisation Aged and Community Services SA & NT. The purpose of the project was to determine whether the graduates from the Certificate III in Aged Care, employed as carers in the aged-care industry, can carry out their duty to industry standards; in other words, can graduates do the job?

The Certificate III in Aged Care was selected for independent validation of assessment because of the risks to vulnerable aged-care clients from poorly trained graduates; the high growth in student numbers, which may pose risks to graduates through oversupply; and complaints from industry about poor quality graduates and/or training. The project gathered data from surveys of 103 employers on their need and demand for aged-care workers, their satisfaction with training and their assessment of skills and knowledge of 257 graduates they had employed. In addition, 439 course graduates were surveyed to determine their employment status and satisfaction with training.

Amongst the key findings of the report on the project is that over 75 per cent of cert III graduates were assessed by their employer to be excellent or adequate in 29 of the 36 tasks required of an aged care worker. Skills and knowledge assessed by employers to be excellent in more than 50 per cent of graduates included listening and engaging respectfully and empathetically with older people; respecting personal boundaries, the need for privacy and being treated with dignity; effectively supporting older persons with activities of daily living; and respecting and communicating appropriately with other staff.

Skills and knowledge assessed by employers to be poor in more than 25 per cent of graduates included understanding the neurological basis of dementia, dealing with challenging behaviour, participating in debriefing and reflective practice, a basic knowledge of common health disorders of older people, death and dying, and applying a holistic approach to dealing with older people. Through the survey, employers suggested that improvements in graduate quality and consistency could be achieved by:

training providers improving course selection processes so that only students assessed to hold appropriate personal attributes for aged care work and sufficient English language skills commence training;

a minimum work placing of four weeks full-time, with some recommending six weeks for every student; and

strengthening course content in communication skills with clients and their families, taking a more holistic person-centred approach, dementia and palliative care, infection control, and providing more opportunity to develop practical skills.

For students, the survey found that there was a marked improvement in graduates' employment status. Unemployment fell from 57 per cent prior to the course commencing to 26 per cent after graduation at the time the survey was conducted. It is worth noting that, while only a small percentage of graduates were employed in aged care when they commenced their training (15 per cent), the survey found that, after completion of their course, 80 per cent of employed graduates who responded to the survey were working in a job related to their course.

This government is committed to engaging and working with industry to fill labour market skills needs and improving productivity by providing a high-quality VET sector. Findings from surveys such as this will improve the quality of our training and the competency of our graduates. We are equally committed to ensuring that students who enrol in the course and are awarded qualifications are trained to the highest standard and do have the prerequisite skills and competencies required for the jobs relevant to the qualification gained. Both employers and students should feel confident that qualifications gained equal competent job-ready graduates able to fill job vacancies.