Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I will only be addressing the House for a very short amount of time with respect to the Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in Achieving Australia’s Skills Needs) Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2006. I was somewhat disappointed by the honourable member for Throsby in the way she condemned the Illawarra Australian Technical College. If she does not want this facility in her electorate then I would be happy to have it transferred to the Sunshine Coast, which was a serious omission from the first 25 technical colleges announced around Australia. If Labor members do not want the technical colleges which have been allocated to them then I am quite sure that coalition members will be very keen to have young people in their electorates given the additional opportunities which will obviously flow from the establishment of these colleges. This, of course, was an initiative announced by the Prime Minister in his policy speech prior to the 2004 federal election.

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that the infrastructure required to help develop a future workforce with the necessary skills required by Australian industry is available. All of us receive many complaints from employers who spend an inordinate amount of money advertising with a view to obtaining people who are able to be worthwhile employees and earn an income for their families but, in doing so, make a contribution towards the growth and success of a certain industry. There is no doubt that in Australia one of the major problems we have in 2007 is the skills shortage. This was the reason that the Australian technical colleges were announced by the Prime Minister prior to the last election.

The Australian government is well underway with the development of 25 technical colleges around Australia. The majority of these already have finalised funding agreements right through until 2009 with the Australian government. This will ensure that their operations can continue at least until that period. It is expected that some 21 colleges will be operating by the end of this year.

A college is to be established at North Brisbane, and it is anticipated that it will open in 2007. While it was the intention that the North Brisbane college would service the Sunshine Coast—and no doubt it will to a certain extent—given that the road system between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane is not quite what should be, it becomes in my view a matter of pressing urgency that the Australian government should look at an Australian technical college for the region. If the government is looking at expanding the number of Australian technical colleges, it should consider that the Sunshine Coast is the 12th largest urban conurbation in Australia and perhaps the fastest growing area in the country.

These colleges, despite criticism in the contribution made by the member for Throsby, are wonderful institutions that will make a big difference for young people who are looking to secure trade qualifications. These institutions will also make a substantial contribution to the success of Australian industry and to the growth of our economy because they will be able to turn out qualified people who will be able to help businesses grow and boost their local economies. Despite the criticism directed towards the Australian technical colleges, I think they are a wonderful thing for Australia and we need more, not fewer, of them. It is quite wrong to criticise the former minister, as the member for Throsby did when she spoke a little while ago.

The bill currently being debated amends the funding amounts available to these colleges between the years 2006 and 2009 from the $343.6 million allocated to $456.2 million. This necessary increase in the amount of funding available will help these colleges achieve their goals. The Australian technical colleges are successful and popular, and this funding increase reflects this success. In fact, the support for the colleges has been so strong that a number are now opening earlier than initially envisaged.

These colleges are unique and sensible in that they allow students to begin their studies towards gaining a trade qualification while they are still at school. This means that they are on the road to getting real qualifications earlier than would have been the case in the past, which in turn means that they will complete their training earlier. It is a system that meets both the needs of students and the requirements of the country. Over time the presence of these ATCs will mean businesses that require electricians, plumbers, carpenters and workers with other related skills will have a greater supply of such workers, and eventually some 7,500 work-ready young people annually will emerge from the colleges. Some 2,000 young people will already be enrolled in the colleges by later this year.

These institutions will make certain that students are taught the latest methods using the latest equipment. These young men and women will emerge as well-trained individuals with the types of skills required by contemporary business owners. In what is a sensible facet of the colleges, they are tied closely to the local communities in which they are located. Instead of having operational decisions made from a remote head office, the local boards that manage each of the colleges are able to make managerial decisions that ensure that the institution meets the specific needs of that region. This is a sensible move because the skills needs of one region will be quite different from the skills needs of other regions. By addressing the specific needs of each area, the network of colleges will address the overall skills needs of the nation.

This bill will make sure that these colleges have the necessary financial backing from the government to enable these goals to be met. This bill outlines the additional funds that will be disbursed in the following amounts over the following years: 2006-07, $27.848 million; 2007-08, $42.628 million; 2008-09, $32.647 million; and 2009-10, $9.509 million. These ATCs will provide students with viable career paths into worthwhile employment. Trade qualifications are rewarding, worthwhile having and provide a potentially lucrative alternative to a university degree.

The only plea I make to the government is that an Australian technical college be established on the Sunshine Coast. If Labor members who are quick to stand in the chamber and criticise their local Australian technical college are prepared to pass that college onto other regions, I am sure those regions would welcome the establishment of a college. The former minister said he would like one, and I hope he gets one as well.

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