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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 13 Hansard (25 November) . . Page.. 4600 ..

MS GALLAGHER (continuing):

Response, dated November 2003.

The committee report was presented to the Assembly on 28 August 2003. I seek leave to make a statement.

Leave granted.

MS GALLAGHER: Mr Speaker, on 28 August 2003 the Chair of the Standing Committee on Education, Ms Karin MacDonald, presented to the Assembly her committee's report No 3 Pathways to the future: report on the inquiry into vocational education training in the ACT. This is an important report, for several reasons. It is the report of the first inquiry held into vocational education and training within the ACT since self-government.

The inquiry provided an important opportunity for all vocational education and training stakeholders to publicly contribute their views and concerns to an inquiry. I am very appreciative of the fact that so many took the time and effort to do so.

The inquiry also provided a very valuable opportunity to reflect on the major advances made in vocational education and training in recent years, to acknowledge the achievements and to look for areas where improvements can be made.

Vocational education and training in Australia has come a long way in a relatively short time. All Australian governments have seen the need to give priority to workforce skilling, growth in vocational education and training, competency-based training and a national accreditation framework and entry-level training.

Since 1996 the drive has been to develop a national approach to training, to grow traineeships and to have more vocational education and training in schools. In 1997 the first nationally recognised training packages were introduced. In 1998 new apprenticeship arrangements were introduced, as was the Australian recognition and qualifications framework. In 2001 the recognition framework was revamped into the Australian quality training framework.

More recently this Assembly passed legislation to establish the ACT Tertiary Accreditation and Registration Act, which was to take effect on 1 November. This affects our determination to ensure that the quality of our training continues to be of a very high standard.

Mr Speaker, the ACT has a robust and vibrant vocational educational training system. The effectiveness and efficiency measures compiled by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research show that the ACT is among the leaders in the provision of VET services in Australia.

Our rate of participation in VET, the one measure where we are below the national average, reflects the territory's unique industry structure, with the predominance of government services and lack of manufacturing. Our success in introducing this in schools is also a factor since participation statistics do not yet include this effort.

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