Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the position adopted by the opposition in relation to the establishment of Australian technical colleges in the Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in Achieving Australia's Skills Needs) Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2006. This is the third time I have stood in this House and spoken about Australian technical colleges. On the last occasion I spoke to legislation dealing with the Australian technical colleges—or ATCs as I will call them from now on—I made the point that this government introduces legislation into this parliament regularly, and we, as members of this House, find ourselves returning to the House time and time and time again to deal with that legislation simply because it does not get it right the first time.

This is a pretty good example of a government failing to get it right the first time, as the legislation amends column 2 of the financial assistance table under subsection 18(4) of the act. In effect, it increases the total funding appropriated under the act—in other words, it costs more than they said it would. They did not do their costing properly; they did not do their homework. They made an announcement on the run during the election, and I will deal with that a bit more further into my contribution to this debate.

As any sensible member of this parliament would, I support any initiative that will provide vocational training to young Australians and also address the chronic skills shortage we have in this country—a shortage that has developed because the Howard government have been asleep at the wheel. They have not paid attention to the climate and the needs of our nation. Unfortunately for the people of Australia, the government decided that they would introduce Australian technical colleges. This was not the most effective approach to solving the problem and not the most effective approach to ensuring that young people who wanted to undertake training in trades could actually do so. It was not the most effective way to address skills shortages, particularly when you consider that the first person to complete their training at an Australian technical college will not hit the ground until 2010.

This was an idea that was floated in the 2004 election—six years from the date that the government came up with an idea to establish ATCs. I think that this idea of the ATCs was driven by two things: the 2004 election and the government being bereft of ideas and policies that they could announce during the election campaign. They thought that an Australian technical college was a good idea. This is the same government that has absolutely ripped dollar after dollar out of the TAFE system in the states. One of the first acts of this government was to cut funding to TAFE colleges. On the one hand they take away and now they have decided that they will establish an Australian technical college system that will go over the top of the TAFE system.

I think it is also important to note at this point that the other aspect of it is the government’s ideological hatred of the states. They look at any way that they can usurp power from or establish themselves over the top of the states. Rather than looking at what is best for the community, and for those young people who are attending school and wanting to train, they decide that they will take power from the states, put it into their own hands and not look at what the real picture is. What it is all about is training young Australians. What it is all about is addressing the skills shortage. I am afraid the government are awarded an F for their efforts in that area—an F for addressing the skills shortage and an F for truly providing young Australians with the opportunity to undertake traditional apprenticeships. As I have already mentioned, it was ill conceived and poorly planned. Because of the poor planning, we still have a situation where some technical colleges have not even been awarded.

I would like to address some very serious issues previously raised by the member for Dobell. I was so concerned when I heard what he had to say that I thought I should check the facts. The member for Dobell attacked the New South Wales government. There is no surprise about that. I actually think that the only contribution that the member for Dobell makes in this House is to attack the New South Wales government or somebody who is not a member of this parliament. He said that the New South Wales government was refusing to sign the memorandum of understanding that would see the ATC on the Central Coast established. That is quite a serious thing to say, so I have checked the facts. I have been advised that the Department of Education and Training—that is, the New South Wales DET officers—are in cooperative discussions with the Australian technical college proponents, they are working together and the process is moving along very nicely. There is total cooperation between all parties. There is no conflict at all. No-one is putting any delay into the process. It is all about working together and providing maximum opportunities for local students. That is what is happening.

The member for Dobell really portrayed a picture that is not true. He said that the New South Wales government is refusing to sign the memorandum of understanding whilst all parties involved are working towards signing it. He also put a date for it to be signed. That date is 24 March. Members of this House may wonder why he chose 24 March. I am certain it was not because my daughter is getting married on 24 March. Rather, I think it is because it is the state election. I might say to the members of this House that the member for Dobell was obviously just playing blatant politics. I think it is an absolute disgrace that he could politicise a process that has taken so long to get to this point and that he could come down here and say that the state government is not cooperating and working to see that that ATC on the Central Coast is up and running.

I think the member for Dobell should actually hang his head in shame. It is little wonder, I might say, that he is known on the coast as the Ghost of the Coast. Why? Because he has hidden his electorate office away where no-one can find him. I receive numerous phone calls from constituents asking where he is. I am even more concerned because, after the redistribution that has recently taken place in New South Wales, part of the electorate of Shortland that I previously represented has now moved into the Dobell electorate. Already I have been contacted by irate voters saying that they feel that it is very unfair that they are going to have to travel to the Tuggerah Business Park, I think it is, on the second floor. These are elderly people living on the Central Coast. I say to the Ghost of the Coast: how about taking politics out of this issue of getting the Central Coast ATC up and running and really showing that you are interested in the people of the Central Coast.

I will go back to the more important aspect of this debate—the Australian technical colleges. I have previously stated that the announcement on ATCs by the government during the 2004 election smelt very much of a political fix. It looked to solve a policy problem rather than address the chronic skills shortages which existed then and which still exist in Australia today. The Australian Industry Group, which is very supportive of the government, has estimated that there is a skills shortage of around 100,000 people in Australia, and a large number of them are needed in the area of the traditional trades. I am very concerned about the government’s response, which has been the establishment of ATCs rather than putting more money in the TAFE system. I am also very concerned about the other approach to dealing with the skills shortage—that is, apprentices being brought in from overseas. Neither of these approaches has been particularly popular in my area.

The Shortland electorate straddles both the Central Coast and the Hunter. It is important to look at where these ATCs will be established and at whether or not they will assist students who live in the Shortland electorate. The Hunter ATC is going to be a joint venture between the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and the Hunter Valley Training Company. They are both outstanding organisations and have my 100 per cent support because they have done some wonderful work in the region. The ATC is set to commence this month, which is great news. It will have a multicampus, non-government school for years 11 and 12. Campuses will be in Maitland, Singleton and Newcastle. But that is the problem. How will a young person who lives in the Shortland electorate be able to access those ATCs? The people whom I represent in this House would benefit much more from the government putting money into TAFE colleges.

As recently as last week, I was contacted by constituents in my electorate whose young sons wished to attend Belmont TAFE to do pre-apprenticeship courses—courses that have been run for a number of years and have been very successful. Unfortunately, because of the lack of funding going to TAFEs, the college was no longer able to run these courses. So, instead of these young people doing a metal fabrication pre-apprenticeship course or an engineering pre-apprenticeship at Belmont TAFE, they now have to look at doing something else. It is very unfortunate that the government is pouring money into something that students living in the electorate that I represent will not be able to access. These students come from a background where they aspire to undertake apprenticeships. Their goal in life is to work in one of the traditional trades. But here you have a situation where people who would make outstanding tradespeople are being denied that opportunity.

I will now turn to the Central Coast ATC. I think the memorandum of understanding for that ATC will be signed very shortly. This college will enable students of years 11 and 12 to undertake trade training in engineering, construction, electrotechnology, automotives and commercial cookery. As the member for Dobell noted, it is being established by a local industry association, the Central Coast Manufacturers Association. Albany International, Kitchens of Sara Lee, ADC Krone, Gibbens Industries, Masterfoods, Adhesive Research, Gosfern, Thermit and Pacific Labels will all be involved in it.

Delta Electricity, another partner in the Central Coast ATC, have been very proactive. In my last contribution to the debate on ATCs, I mentioned their involvement in the group training scheme. They have trained apprentices over a number of years. My community newsletter also had a story promoting the work of Delta Electricity and that of the group training scheme on the Central Coast in helping young people to undertake apprenticeships and qualify as tradespeople. Once again, I acknowledge the fine work achieved through the group training scheme and Delta Electricity.

My real concern about the Central Coast ATC is that it will be located at Gosford. I forgive members of this House for being unaware of the distance between Gosford and, say, Gwandalan in the Shortland electorate. It would be extremely difficult for a young person in years 11 and 12 to travel from Gwandalan to Gosford to undertake training at the ATC. It would involve a lengthy bus trip, a train trip and then probably another bus trip at the other end. I would argue very strongly the case that young people will have limited access to these technical colleges.

I want to return to the issue of skills shortages to paint a little picture of what they are like within my local area. On 5 September last year a release from DEWR said:

The skills shortage in the Hunter’s coal industry appears to be worsening.

Mine contracting firm Allied Coal Services has spent the past 60 years placing workers in jobs in the state’s mining sector.

Managing director David Briggs says a recent nationwide recruitment drive only found 80 mine workers with experience, and only 25 per cent of those had the specialist skills needed for a job.

He says the outlook is bleak, with the Hunter’s mining work force getting older and few skilled younger workers entering the industry.

I say that these ATCs are not going to do anything to help the mining industry that so desperately needs skilled workers in the Hunter. I would argue very strongly that the government needs to be much more proactive. They need to put aside their feelings of hatred for the states, forget the fact that there are Labor governments in power in the states and embrace and work with the states to try and solve the problem.

In the remaining time, I will quickly touch again on a DEWR survey. Sixty-nine per cent of employers surveyed expect to recruit staff—this is in the Hunter in the next 12 months—and 59 per cent of those said that they do not expect to be able to fill those jobs. The survey covered all major industries and occupations and only 70 per cent of those vacancies were filled and the number of applicants for those jobs was very limited in the areas of skill.

It is time for action. It is time for more than the ATCs to address this issue. It is time for the government to get real about skills shortages. It is time for the government to do something to address the issue. It is time for the government to make a real commitment to young Australians to ensure that they get the training they need. It is time for people like the member for Dobell to stop disgraceful political grandstanding, stop creating problems and acknowledge the fact that the state government is working with the federal government on the Central Coast. (Time expired)

See this speech in context