Page 4700 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 10 November 2009
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effective transfer of that young person. It will no longer be sufficient to let go. It will be necessary to actually hand over the baton to ensure continuance in the care and progress of young people in education, training and employment. Further, the youth commitment seeks to make these transitions a positive experience for each young person.
The messages to the community must be simple. The activity and the effort required to support the youth commitment will be complex, because the initiative is complex. But everyone agrees that the goal of establishing the ACT youth commitment is worth while.
The ACT government and the Department of Education and Training have been consulting widely because we know how important it is to get the ACT youth commitment right. Recognising the benefits of achieving the goal and the complexities associated with that ambition is why it is so important for stakeholders to stay connected and committed to this process.
Throughout 2010, processes will be refined and further consultation will occur with the community to ensure that all of us understand the new expectations and that families and young people understand the new opportunities that are available to them. All young people need to be able to access the range of services and programs that are available to them and they need to be able to access the right service at the right time.
Appropriate technology support to assist in the implementation of the youth commitment will also be developed. Following further ongoing development and dialogue with stakeholders, the youth commitment and a framework of support should be fully operational in the year 2011. While the finer details of the youth commitment are still being finalised in consultation with stakeholders from across the ACT, there is already a clear understanding of what the youth commitment might look like once implemented. While the ACT public schools have already in place student pathways plans, these would be enhanced and augmented to ensure that no student leaves year 10 without an appropriate pathway or transition plan.
I have already mentioned that the ACT government is partnering with key stakeholders through the process of development and implementation of the youth commitment. It is also important to acknowledge that this process is only possible following the significant investments already made by the ACT government to support the vocational education and training sector and career transitions support for students in the ACT. Our $3.4 million investment for additional career and transitional teachers and our commitments regarding the certificate IV in career development will assist with student transitions and choices.
In fact, the 2008-09 ACT budget established a strong platform, with $51 million allocated to the vocational education and training sector to build the infrastructure we needed to position the ACT for the future. Additional funding was also made available to CIT to increase skills through a responsive vocational education and training system, and additional funding has been provided for user choice to ensure that Australian apprentices receive the training they need through the national partnership agreement. In the most recent budget, the ACT government announced
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