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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (24 September) . . Page.. 3303 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

I will turn now to some specific initiatives. The future of the ACT is in the hands of our youth. We are committed to providing new jobs and training opportunities for young people looking for work and for those who are still at school or college who need training now. The labour market in the ACT is struggling to come to grips with the reforms flowing from the restructure of the Australian Public Service. It is essential, therefore, that we have in place a strategy to rebuild confidence in our economy, provide leadership to the private sector and increased opportunities for youth at a time when higher education is under pressure. This budget does just that. It provides new job opportunities within the ACT Public Service, training and apprenticeship opportunities that are supported and sponsored by the Government, and private sector opportunities arising from Government initiatives. The whole basis of our strategy is to maximise employment and training within the private and public sectors at a time of economic downturn.

A major feature of this budget is the generation of a range of employment initiatives which will have the effect of producing 270 new permanent and temporary jobs where they are needed most within our Public Service. In addition, more than 2,000 private sector employment opportunities will be generated through the initiatives detailed in this budget.

Mr Moore: Pull the other leg. Come on!

Mr Whitecross: It is written there, but that does not mean it is true.

MRS CARNELL: It is interesting that those opposite do not seem to like that. As part of this Government's determination to reduce our city's graffiti problem and clean up Canberra, $700,000 funding has been allocated to the creation of 60 part-time positions for an expanded graffiti removal program.

Mr Berry: We saw what you did last year. We are experienced Carnell watchers, remember.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Berry might be interested to know that that is on top of what we did last year - as well as. To be staffed by young unemployed people, this program will offer them a chance to increase their skills by working as part of a team in carrying out this maintenance work. Traineeships will be offered by the Department of Urban Services for an Aboriginal worker, two general park workers and two trainee rangers, at a cost of $170,000. These five positions will provide practical training experience for two specialist science staff seeking work in forestry and national parks management, and also on-the-job experience and relevant CIT training for two recent school leavers. An additional three places will be offered this year in the graduate administrative assistant program in the Public Service. This will bring to 26 the number of graduate placements available across all agencies, at a cost of more than $700,000.

This budget also provides for a whole-of-government approach to employment and training of entry level recruits into the ACT Public Service. A total of 34 permanent trainee positions will be made available within the ACT Public Service in this financial year, at a cost of $450,000. In addition, 12 apprenticeships will be offered in the Department of Urban Services and ACTEW, at an estimated cost of $130,000.

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