Gai Brodtmann (Canberra, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, it is a very good miniseries that has been filmed here in Canberra. I have quite intimate knowledge of the provenance of this miniseries. This other miniseries that hopefully will see a second series created is Secret City, which showcased our beautiful national capital and also created a degree of intrigue and excitement around the ACT and Canberra.

Those two miniseries are in addition to the fact that there are countless documentaries that have been filmed here. There have been countless short films filmed here, a number of them award-winning. It is a growth industry for the ACT. I understand from conversations with the ACT government and also CADA today that there are many more documentaries and short films booked for the near future—for the next 12 months to two years. So our nation's capital is becoming a bit of a film hub. It has fantastic scenery, of course, and it has some really interesting buildings. There is a lot of local homegrown talent here that can take part in those films, documentaries and short films.

Canberra is reaching a critical mass of creativity and innovation and we now have this homegrown talent being produced, and I am concerned that as a result of the government not including a number of the creative industries in the VET list it could potentially spike the careers of these young people, and it could potentially spike our creative industries here in the ACT.

People tend to think that vocational education is just purely about addressing the skills shortage in trades. Yes, we need more electricians. Yes, we need more carpenters. Yes, we need more plumbers. Yes, we need more motor mechanics. We need more skills in this country, particularly in the trades. If you try to find a plumber here in the ACT on the weekend it can be a very difficult exercise. I speak from experience here. When my dear husband put a hole in one of the pipes in our front yard when he was doing a bit of gardening, we had to get a plumber on a Sunday and it cost quite a sum of money. That is because we have a significant skills shortage here in the ACT. It also exists nationally. I have both praised my husband and also shared his ability with a pick. We are keeping him away from that as well as gardening generally because it always ends up in 'armagarden'!

We have a significant skills shortage here in the ACT, which is why we need to be investing in skills in the trades, particularly for electricians, plumbers, mechanics and others. That said, we should not ignore the need to develop skills in the creative industries. As I said when I mentioned those figures before, creative industries contribute $90 billion per year to the Australian economy and make up 5.3 per cent of Australia's workforce. We are looking at about $1 billion here in the ACT, and that is an old figure. That is from two or three years ago. So this is a significant growth industry and we need to develop our creative skills as well as those trade skills. It is vitally important for us as a nation. It is vitally important to our economy.

It is not just important to the economy. It is also important because of the fact that these vocational education creative industry courses create a pathway for many young Canberrans. I have a friend whose daughter has been having some mental health issues. She was in and out of year 12. She has had some real challenges. She decided to enrol in CIT to do a pathway course. She finished that pathway course and is now studying law at ANU. So vocational education provides a pathway—an opportunity for people to work out what they want to do with their lives and the direction they want to pursue and then possibly go into higher education.

Vocational education provides skills in trades so that people can get employed, but it also develops their self-esteem. Again, I know from the conversations I had with these young people today—and I will explore those in more detail shortly—who have had these challenges and have used CIT or vocational education as a pathway that vocational education has boosted their self-esteem. It has boosted their confidence. It has boosted their sense of self and their ability to go on and pursue new directions in higher education or go off and get a job. It provides a range of skills, and they are not just all about trade skills or job related skills. It also provides a great deal of interpersonal development. That is why it is so important.

As I said, this morning I met with Elizabeth Scott from CADA, as well as two young Canberrans—Becky and Rod. It was fascinating talking to them and listening to them about the changes that have taken place as a result of their CADA courses. They are planning to do the Advanced Diploma of Performance out at CADA. Becky is 18 years of age and she comes from a family with a single mum. Her mum works full time and will do any overtime she can to help Becky get through. Becky works 38 hours to 48 hours a week in her job to put herself through, and she is also studying full time. She said that she gets a great deal of support not just from her mother but also from CADA. She said of CADA and the experience of getting involved in the cert IV in performing arts—and her intention is to do the advanced diploma—that, 'It makes me want to get somewhere in my life.' That is what this course has done for her. She said, 'It gives me the skills so I don't feel bad about myself. It gives me more confidence.'

I also met Rod, who is 20 years of age. He has done a Diploma of Musical Theatre and he is planning to do an Advanced Diploma of Performance. He is an exceptional young man. Again, he has three jobs to work his way through this degree. He does parties and events for kids and teaches kids at CADA. He said that he is not involved in the performing arts to get famous. He does it because it is what he loves. He does not see it as a lifestyle choice, which is what those opposite have said so often about these creative industry courses that are being deregistered or taken off the list. He does not see it as a lifestyle choice; it is what he loves to do. It is like Becky said: 'It gives me a sense of purpose. It makes me want to get somewhere in my life. It gives me the skills so I don't feel bad about myself.'

These courses are vital, as vital for self-esteem and job opportunities as the courses taken by those who are studying a trade, studying to be a plumber, an electrician or a carpenter. They are as vital for these young individuals like Becky and Rod as they are for those studying other courses down at Fyshwick here, doing trades. I am looking at the list of courses that have been deemed ineligible for funding. It includes the Diploma of Musical Theatre which is taught at CADA, as well as the Advanced Diploma of Performance. I am very concerned about the fact that these courses will not be deemed eligible for funding. I am concerned about the impact it is going to have on those students who are already going through the system. I understand, from the conversations with Elizabeth today, that students who are in the system now can go right through to the end of 2017, but her view is that, if they are just at the early stage of their course, they should be given the opportunity to be taught out for their degree or their diploma, that we should not just leave these young people hanging there with half a diploma or half an advanced diploma finished.

So I am calling on the minister to review the list of creative industries that are deemed ineligible. I am calling on the minister to consider their value not just to the economy—as I mentioned before, they are worth $90 billion to the Australian economy and employ 5.3 per cent of the workforce. I am calling on the minister not just to look at the economic benefit of the creative industries but also to look at the personal benefit that they deliver for the young Australians who are studying these courses, in terms of boosting their self-esteem, boosting their ability to feel confident in speaking, boosting their love and understanding of literature and the arts, boosting their confidence. I am calling on the minister to revisit the list of ineligible courses and to consider the important contribution that the creative industries make to our economy and to Australia's future.

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