Page 319 - Week 01 - Thursday, 14 February 1991
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take up the slack. Otherwise, Mr Deputy Speaker, we will end up with a boom situation with large numbers of employers looking and searching for apprentices and we will not be able to meet that demand with sufficient speed.
I think it is appropriate for Federal and State Ministers of all persuasions to get together and develop a scheme whereby they would encourage firms and employers and be able to assist them to take on extra apprentices rather than get rid of them. This will ensure a requirement for industry to participate in this program in conjunction with government to ensure that sufficient funds are provided and are available to the TAFE system. I suggest, Mr Deputy Speaker, that it is a short-sighted approach to ignore the fact that when the recession turns around industry will be crying out for suitable trainees. I would like the Chief Minister to have a look at this particular issue just to make sure that this will take place when the recession turns around.
MR KAINE (Chief Minister) (3.51), in reply: I must say that I am quite gratified at the quality of the comment on the report that was tabled some time ago. It is clear that education in general and TAFE education in particular are a matter of considerable concern to the community and to the members of this Assembly. Mr Wood's remarks were well thought through and I would like to assure him that his comments will not go without careful consideration.
The working party's report, which is the catalyst for this debate, is clearly proving to be an invaluable and timely tool, I think, to both the Government and the ACT Institute of TAFE. The ACT and regional communities have come to rely on TAFE services as their primary source of vocational and continuing education opportunities. As we are all well aware, the community likes to have a say in matters such as their education. I believe that the Government did everything in its power to enable this to happen by ensuring that the community was consulted throughout the working party's review.
The Government's commitment to the working party's recommendations will, I believe, assist the Institute of TAFE to manage its financial and physical resources more efficiently and more effectively. I believe that it is already working to minimise the impact of funding restraints on course offerings and student places, in spite of recent commentary in the media which appears to doubt that. I have the utmost confidence in the institute's ability to meet their objectives.
Considerable progress has been made already in implementing many of the working party's recommendations, and several internal reviews of the institute's administrative areas have been completed, with noticeable improvements in some of the services that they provide. For example, the enrolment process has been considerably streamlined as compared with previous years, making the task much smoother
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