Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Thursday, 1 April 2004) . . Page.. 1531 ..

September 2003 that index showed us that government and defence, sales assistants and store persons, food, hospitality and tourism, as well as traditional trades are all areas in which skills shortages exist in the ACT.

What is the government doing in those areas? The government says a great deal, but what is it doing? Let me ask the government members some pertinent questions. What, for example, is it doing with regard to careers advice? What about career pathways in the industries examined and defined as having skill shortages? What is the government doing to develop pilot strategies to up-skill existing workers—an initiative strongly supported by the Australian Council of Trade Unions? What about the development and implementation of career marketing campaigns and the development of career marketing materials?

Years ago I was a part of—and I am sure it still exists—the careers market. If a person does not know what career he or she wants to follow, going to a career market really will not answer some of the questions that he or she might ask. We must do more before we reach the point where people are being asked what they want to do. We must go much further back into the system—probably as far back as year 7 and year 8. What about the gathering of extensive statistically valid research and data on the nature and extent of skills shortages in participating industries, in particular, in traditional trades?

What about further research on occupational specialisation and segmentation? What about the identification and implementation of innovative training pathways within training packages? What about the development and implementation of marketing campaigns targeting employers and the creation of more fluid and effective linkages between ACT employers and students. Some of this happens currently, but I think more can be done to strengthen this area. More businesses should be alerted to the fact that they can take students into their work force. In the big picture we must ramp up what we are doing for trainees and apprentices and we must let people know how to go about taking on trainees.

What is this government doing to lift the profile of vocational education and training and to better support teachers who are seriously overworked? The answer to all those questions is very little, if anything at all. If this government is committed to skills shortages in the ACT, Mr Quinlan and Ms Gallagher should take note of what has been said by the Australian Education Union. They should read the report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Training entitled Learning to work, which was released only three days ago.

Because of time limitations I will not be able to address that issue, but I am sure the minister has a copy of that report. There are some great recommendations in it. I fully support many of the recommendations in that report. I met today with a member of that committee and asked what the committee will be putting to the government. I will be following closely the recommendations of that committee. The ACT has skills shortages in a number of areas. I challenge the government to address seriously the recommendations in that Learning to work report.

The government must better support vocational education and training and VET teachers and students. Students require career counselling a lot earlier than they are receiving it at present. There should be a full-time and dedicated careers adviser in every ACT high

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .