Debate resumed from 13 June, on motion by Mr Robb:

That this bill be now read a second time.

upon which Mr Stephen Smith moved by way of amendment:

That all words after “That” be omitted with a view to substituting the following words:“whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House welcomes additional financial support for first and second year apprentices but condemns the Government’s complacency and neglect of vocational education and training over the past 11 long years seen through:

(1)

the Government slashing its investment in vocational education and training by 13 per cent in the three years to 2000;

(2)

between 2000 and 2004, increasing this investment by only 1 per cent;

(3)

the failure of the Government to address the acute shortages of skilled labour across Australia, which the Government itself estimates to be a shortfall of 240,000 skilled workers by 2016;

(4)

the cynical political response to the national skills crisis of a standalone network of Australian Technical Colleges that will only produce 10,000 graduates by 2010; and

(5)

the failure of the Government to address apprenticeship completion rates, with almost 50 per cent of apprentices cancelling or withdrawing from training each year while Labor has been calling since 2005 for $2000 payments to encourage completion of  traditional trade apprenticeships”.

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