Teresa Gambaro (Petrie, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to make comments on and support the statement that has just been delivered by the Prime Minister on providing assistance for skills shortages and skills training. I rise to support his statements particularly. The world has changed. There are many mature age workers out there whose skills have become redundant because of the changing technological advancements in society and also the fact that they may have been away from the workforce for a long period of time—for example, mothers who have stayed home for a number of years to rear children or who left school at a time when a limited number of skills were required and many people left school in the junior year. The way that things have changed in the workplace today, many of those skills need to be updated.

When I go around and speak to employers, what is becoming increasingly obvious to me is the skills gap that exists out there. Many employers express a great deal of frustration to me, particularly when young people applying for positions do not have the literacy skills to fill out an application form. That is of great concern. It is important that we make sure that those literacy skills and also other job skills are updated. More so now than ever before, the technological age has meant that there are many careers that are no longer applicable, and one that I can think of is the old-fashioned world of cartography and map drawing. It is now being surpassed by computer technology. That particular industry is a bit of a dinosaur. In cases like that, there are many people out there who would have originally trained in the old ways that now have to come on board and embrace the new technology.

We have such a strong economy at the moment that employers regularly say to me they have trouble finding employees. I was speaking to a company the other day that was having extreme difficulty in attracting truck drivers. We have such a low unemployment level that the workers of this country, which is in a period of unprecedented economic strength, are in the greatest position of bargaining power that has ever existed in terms of the types of jobs that are out there, and employers are very mindful of that. It is a terrific situation to be in, but it does cause skills shortages and skill demands.

So this $837 million policy that has been announced by the Prime Minister I would like to endorse. Anyone over the age of 25 without year 12 equivalent skills will be eligible for a $3,000 voucher. The cost of funding the voucher is $408 million and the voucher will be able to be used in places like TAFEs, private providers or community colleges. It will upskill unemployed workers and welfare recipients, it will give them a chance to participate in the workforce and it will also give them a formal qualifications path and a career path. This is the type of educational opportunity that people are looking for in this very modern, robust and strong market. Workers who have gone into specific jobs in the past now want changes of directions and want to supplement their skills through their working lives. The training that they require must be flexible and it must be deliverable in the classroom or the workplace—whatever is needed. It is a much more flexible work environment.

The days of apprenticeships only being for younger people are over. As I travel around, more and more mature age people are wanting to become apprentices and we have invested $307 million over five years to support mid-career workers. We have seen successful examples of that in the defence industry, where mature age workers are going into technical and electrical areas and the Department of Defence has embraced that wholeheartedly. From 1 July 2007, the incentives will be available each year for up to 10,000 people aged 30 and over who are starting an apprenticeship at the certificate III or certificate IV level in an occupation of high demand, and those 30 and over undertaking apprenticeships in these occupations in July 2007 will also be eligible. The amount paid by the government will be $150 a week, or $7,800 a year, in the first year and $100 a week, or $5,000 in a year, in the second year.

I endorse this important measure because it will have a profound effect on the skills and the upgrading of skills in this country. It will mean greater engagement for mature age people and it will help many in the workforce who, through no barrier other than a financial barrier, will be able to participate again. (Time expired)