Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Senator Birmingham, representing the Minister for Education and Training. Will the minister update the Senate on how the government is assisting small and medium-sized enterprises to grow and take advantage of new and emerging markets?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sinodinos for his important question in relation to our support for small business and medium-sized businesses, particularly to grow their skills base, to invest in their employees and to develop the types of skills that will enable them to grow their businesses and to pursue new trade opportunities, particularly the types of trade opportunities that are available as the new free trade agreements with China and Korea and Japan and, ultimately, India come on-stream.

Our Industry Skills Fund is providing $664 million of support to Australian businesses to enable them to deliver training to around one-quarter of a million—some 250,000—Australians over the next five years. This will help them to identify the skills they need in their businesses and the skills their employees need. It will help them to be able to grow as businesses and ultimately create more jobs and more opportunity for more Australians. As a key part of the fund, today I have announced that the government will invest $43 million over the next three years in the Industry Skills Fund Skills Adviser Network. The network will provide intensive support to businesses who are looking to grow, especially to grow through the development of their workforce. These skills advisers will provide clear, independent written advice on the skills, needs and opportunities of a business at no cost to those small to medium-sized businesses. It will provide them with the opportunity to see how and where they can invest, be it in accredited or qualified training or through non-accredited opportunities that can still deliver demonstrable benefits to those businesses to reskill their workforces, to upskill their workforces, and to create new opportunities to grow their businesses and their export markets and to create more jobs and opportunities, not just for their existing employees who will benefit but also through that growth and creation of new jobs which is central to the overall ambition of our Industry Skills Fund.

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister update the Senate on the uptake of skills advice provided to Australia's SMEs?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to inform the Senate and Senator Sinodinos in particular that we have, in the first few months of operation, delivered skills advice to hundreds of Australian businesses, 97 per cent of whom are small and medium-sized enterprises. Of course, as a government whose most recent budget is centred around creating growth and opportunities in investment from SMEs, it is critically important to us that they also have the capacity to access the skills advice they need. Fifty six per cent of skills advice requests were for small or micro businesses, while 41 per cent were for medium-sized businesses.

The feedback has been exceptional. For example, Power Pumps and Engineering in South Australia have said of the fund: 'It was easy to apply for and staff were most helpful. The recommended courses were good and I thought the skills adviser was excellent.' Indeed, Barker Trailers have said: 'Industry skills funding helps us to justify training as many staff as we could and supported us to make this decision.' It is delivering real outcomes on the ground. (Time expired)

Arthur Sinodinos (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister tell the Senate how the government is assisting northern Australian businesses with skills advice and training?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you again, Senator Sinodinos. The government want to make sure that this Industry Skills Fund and the Skills Adviser Network deliver particular benefits to northern Australia as part of our overall growth strategy for northern Australia. So we have broadened the availability of the $664 million Industry Skills Fund to businesses seeking to expand their operations in northern Australia. Co-contribution rates under the Industry Skills Fund for businesses in northern Australia will be reduced such that, in particular, small, medium and larger businesses will have a lower level of co-contribution and will be further encouraged to invest in the skills of their workforce to be able to grow their base in the north. In addition, five skills advisers will be provided to particularly encourage and provide advice to businesses on how to invest in upskilling or reskilling their workforces in northern Australia. This is a key investment that complements the northern Australia strategy our government has and overall is about lifting the skills base of Australian workers and growing our economy in totality.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.