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

About two weeks ago I met with two very distraught parents and their son. They raised with me issues concerning the Australian technical college in the Hunter. Their sons decided that they would undertake study at the Australian technical college. They thought it sounded just like what they needed, but unfortunately it has been a very rough and rocky road for these students. Even the teachers are saying that the college should not have started at the beginning of the year, when it did, but it did so because of an insistence from the government.

Both the boys are doing electrical trades and they have enrolled in the new college. They were supportive of the concept of Australian technical colleges but were very disappointed with the development of the Hunter college and the program offered to date. The development of the college has been fast-tracked. It really should not have opened for another six to 12 months. Both students are considering withdrawing from the college, such is their level of disappointment.

Of the 60 students enrolled in the course, not one has started work with an employer. Work experience placements have not even been negotiated, nor has workers compensation been negotiated. The college facilities are virtually nonexistent, with classes conducted in temporary premises with no workbenches. The parents were actually talking about going along the weekend after I saw them to build workbenches for the students so they could complete the practical part of their course. Currently there is a very limited supply of working tools and consumable materials, and initially there were no materials. I would ask how these students can be expected to achieve their goal of completing their apprenticeships.

The placement of the students with employers is a critical part of the apprenticeship training model. This has been neglected, with the recruitment of a placement officer not even completed. There is no placement officer. It is little wonder that the students have not been able to undertake the work component of their apprenticeship. Parents now fear it will be next year before the students are able to work in the trade, and the two students I am talking about will not be there. Problems exist with the training model and the ratio of school based training, trades and genuine on-the-job training. (Time expired)