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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Thursday, 1 April 2004) . . Page.. 1528 ..

relevant and available vocational education and training course, within 12 months of leaving school, for those students not already in some form of post-school study or training. The government also indicated in the white paper that it would amend the Payroll Tax Act to exempt group training organisations from the payment of payroll tax for second and third year apprentices.

The government is committed to ensuring that the government school system is resourced to deliver skills in ICT—an emerging skill shortage area for all school students. That will have a positive flow-on effect for future trainees and apprentices. In this area the ACT is leading the way nationally as the first jurisdiction to introduce ICT competencies for year 10 students. The government also stated in its white paper that the ACT is the first Australian school system to be fully connected to broadband services.

The government bolstered the capacity to focus on the vocational education and training needs of the ACT through establishing two new sections in its Training and Adult Education branch. They are the career transition section and a new apprenticeships and VET initiatives section. Those initiatives will build on our success in increasing the number of trainees and apprentices in the ACT, meeting the needs of employers, and providing positive career options for people in the ACT.

It is apparent through the increase in the number of trainees and apprentices in the ACT that the government’s efforts in advertising and promoting VET as a legitimate post-school option are paying off. We have seen for the first time in the ACT that we should not just focus on university education. Young people are taking up the options that are being offered to them through VET. I again refer members to the percentages that I referred to earlier. In December 2003, in the key age group of people aged 20 to 24, 31 per cent of apprentices and trainees were in training in the ACT compared with the national average of 26.6 per cent. The number of apprentices and trainees that commenced training in the ACT is 42 per cent higher than the figure for this time last year.

Growth rates in the ACT are 13 per cent compared to the national growth rate of 2 per cent. This government is now considering sustaining those increases rather than promoting them as it is a substantial cost to it. VET funding stands at $91 million, with the Commonwealth government, a significant partner, contributing about $21 million of that amount. Those increases will have to be matched by funding from the ACT government. We will be watching and monitoring the figures closely to establish whether or not they remain at that level. If they do not we will have to establish whether or not we are able to sustain them.

A lot of work is going on in this area and I am pleased with the results we are achieving. We are probably achieving results that we did not expect because of the increases that we are seeing. However, they are certainly welcome. I agree with a lot of the arguments put forward earlier by Ms Dundas. It is important for young people, it helps the ACT economy and it provides options for them other than the unemployment queues. Ms Dundas made reference to the paperwork that is involved in the provision of VET. Everyone who knows something about it would be aware that it is complicated and that there are a lot of recording requirements.

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