Page 438 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 8 March 2006
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4) Young people have opportunities to gain a wide range of lasting skills that provide a strong foundation for their working lives.
5) Training opportunities are expanded in areas of current and expected skills shortages.
To this end, several initiatives have been put in place, and I mention a few. The new Australian technical colleges and the Institute for Trade Skills Excellence firmly place industry at the centre of the action.
There is much that could be said in favour of the current approach to technical training in this country, an approach which has been led in the past by Brendan Nelson and Gary Hardgrave and which has now been taken up by Julie Bishop and Gary Hardgrave. It was an interesting throwaway line that this has been done by a junior minister and therefore is not of value. The contribution made to vocational and technical education by Gary Hardgrave over the past two years is phenomenal, and he should be congratulated in this place rather than have the carping and snide, throwaway lines by Mr Gentleman, as usual.
In conclusion, I seek leave to move both amendments circulated in my name together.
Leave granted.
MRS DUNNE: I move:
(1) paragraph (2), omit subparagrah (a); and
(2) paragraph (5), after “employers”, insert “unions”.
MR SPEAKER: The member’s time has expired.
MR MULCAHY (Molonglo) (11.31): I speak in support of the amendment. As I started to say towards the conclusion of my earlier remarks, the federal government’s commitment, particularly incentives for employers, has been quite comprehensive. So the amendments moved by Mrs Dunne more appropriately recognise that commitment that we have seen, which is part of the very challenging task of tackling Australia’s shortage of skilled people.
I look at the summary of the Australian government’s new apprenticeships incentives program that I made reference to earlier. This is a recent document, of 1 January 2006, which is accessible on line. We look through there and see a vast array of incentives that are designed to provide opportunities and encourage employers to take young people into their work force.
There is the standard commencement incentive, which is $1,250, for an employer who commences a new apprenticeship in certificate II training or $1,500 for an employer who commences a new apprenticeship in certificate III or IV training. We see a $1,000 special incentive for an employer who commences a woman in an eligible certificate II to IV level new apprenticeship in a declared non-traditional occupation. That is called the women in non-traditional trade special commencement incentive.
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