MEDIA RELEASE
COMMONWEALTH SUBMISSION TO SKILLS INQUIRY
11 April, 2003 MIN 331/03
The critical leadership role of the Commonwealth Government in
the nation’s education and training systems has been highlighted in
a Departmental submission to a Senate inquiry into Current and
Future Skills Needs.
The Department of Education, Science and Training submission
describes the Commonwealth’s key role in ensuring students acquire
basic foundation skills such as literacy and numeracy and sets out
the way senior secondary schools are providing students with
vocational education such as New Apprenticeships.
The Commonwealth plays a key leadership role in determining the
overall direction and strategies to develop a skilled Australian
workforce, while the role of the States’ and Territories’ is to
respond to identified skills shortages and ensure the quality of the
training programmes which are being delivered.
The Commonwealth Government has provided about $1.1 billion in
2003 to the States and Territories for the implementation of
national vocational education and training goals, including
addressing identified industry skills shortages.
The Commonwealth’s National Industry Skills Initiative, together
with its work with the Department of Employment and Workplace
Relations, has been critical in identifying and addressing specific
industry skills needs.
Further information can be found at (http://www.skillsinitiative.gov.au/about.htm ).
The Government’s $560 million New Apprenticeships programme
contributes significantly to Australia’s ability to maintain a
skilled workforce and a competitive national economy. At the end of
2002 there were almost 375,000 New Apprentices in training. When
Labor was last in power Apprenticeships had plummeted to just
141,300.
Thirty six percent of New Apprentices in training are in
traditional trades or related occupations whilst about 13% of the
workforce is employed in these areas.
Additional support for higher level trade training is offered by
the Commonwealth through targetted financial incentives,
contributing to a 22% increase in trade training between 1995 and
2002.
I am concerned that some States and Territories have chosen to
reduce the number of training places in some key trade areas. I
raised my concerns late last year about this trend, particularly
given the demand created by industry growth in these areas.
I will be asking my States and Territory colleagues for
assurances that adequate training places are targeted to Australia's
future industry needs, in particular in traditional trades. I will
also be asking them to ensure the quality of the training being
carried out.
I am confident the submission will assist the Committee to
recognise the key role the Commonwealth plays and its contribution
to addressing the current and future skills needs of Australian
industry.
The submission can be found at
http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/skills/submissions/sublist.htm
For further information:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Ross Hampton 0419 484 095
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Jane Smith 0412 973 411
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