Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the government's commitment to strengthening the vocational education and training sector and the goal of creating up to 80,000 apprenticeships in the next five years. In particular, I support the implementation of the Delivering Skills for Today and Tomorrow package, which lays the building blocks for reforms identified in the comprehensive review of Australia's vocational education and training system, the Joyce review, as well as the improvement of the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network.

This investment in the vocational education and training sector is desperately needed, especially in regional towns across Australia, where employment opportunities are limited when compared to metropolitan centres. In my electorate of Mallee, many young people are leaving towns like Charlton, Wycheproof and Donald to pursue employment opportunities elsewhere. These towns are located in Buloke Shire, which has been identified as an area of focus for education and vocational training. In response to the desperate need for action in this shire, I facilitated a think tank forum between industry, education and government representatives, to discuss the issues facing the region and determine solutions to these challenges. It included representatives from the Local Learning Employment Networks, SuniTAFE and RTOs, along with employers such as Bernie Casey, who instigated this think tank, Troy Hendy and Meredith Taskers—26 people in all. Key concerns raised at the forum related to the complexity of the vocational education and training system, the desire to see more comprehensive career advice for students and, particularly, parents regarding apprenticeships, and the need to further incentivise employers to take on apprentices.

A number of the measures contained in the skills package work towards addressing the issues raised at the Charlton think tank forum, including the establishment of a national careers institute, the appointment of a nationals skills ambassador and additional and streamlined incentives for both employers and apprentices. The National Careers Institute aims to improve the overall quality of career development in Australia, with a specific focus on raising the status of vocational education and training. The appointment of Scott Cam as the first National Careers Ambassador re-enforces this focus.

From 1 July 2020 the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program will be streamlined and simplified, making it easier for employers to understand and claim incentives. This is particularly important for my electorate because of the additional incentives available to employers in regional and rural areas. These include the Australian Apprentice Wage Subsidy, which will support up to 3,260 eligible employers of apprentices in occupations experiencing national skills shortage, as well as the Rural and Regional Skills Shortage incentive, which provides $1,000 to all eligible employers.

Beyond the skills package, other government initiatives are making it easier for employers to recruit apprentices. The Australian Apprenticeship Support Network is a key component of the government's investment in vocational training, education and apprenticeships, and acts as the first point of contact for all apprenticeship inquiries. The support network provides personalised advise and support services to employers and apprentices, from precommencement of an apprenticeship to completion. A new contract for providers under this network has been developed, which will ensure that information is delivered clearly and efficiently. The support network can provide advice as to which financial incentives employers and apprentices may be eligible for. Through the improved Apprenticeship Support Network, employers and apprentices will be more able to navigate the system and get the most out of the apprenticeship. I support this motion because I want to see the vocational, education and training sector strengthened, I want to create more opportunities for young people in my electorate and I want to assist employers find and train workers for the future prosperity of their business.

With that being said, I don't doubt there is more work to be done in this space. A key challenge for vocational education and training is the provision of tertiary services. If apprentices can't access these services, they can't obtain their qualification. For areas like Buloke Shire, more service providers are needed. I recently met with Geoff Dea of Sunraysia Institute of TAFE. Geoff is keen to expand his organisation's reach into Buloke Shire but has been unable to do so due to shortfalls in funding. There is no substitute for local training, which is why we need to support local training providers like SuniTAFE to deliver these services.

See this speech in context