Page 2278 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 12 August 2014
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some clarification on. It is now nearly a month and a half since that clarification was given to the Chief Minister and the complainant still has not received any further information regarding their issues. I think it is very important for the Chief Minister to keep faith with the people who are actually trying to get their lives back in order. The intervention they are seeking from the Chief Minister is quite appropriate and timely.
However, back to the main issues regarding CIT, I acknowledge the very real efforts the Chief Executive Officer of the CIT, Dr Adrian Marron, has made to address the lack of staff training in learning to deal with workplace conflict to avoid a repeat of earlier years. I note the training now offered to staff across the wider ACT public service and especially at management level, and it is pleasing to see the presence of RED officers. I regret and, frankly, am a little bit surprised that such training and awareness was not available to the staff before.
Moving on, in coming months we will be debating the new structural arrangements for CIT and that will mark further opportunity for progress and growth to this city’s major training organisation. During estimates, I raised a number of questions, and it has to be said that I was not always full of confidence or satisfaction in the answers I received. The ongoing issues of the cost structure at the CIT are still a little vague, and I am still not satisfied that a transparent process has been followed in assessing the financial value and content worth of some courses. Similarly, my questions on the rationale of and support for three bachelor degree courses offered—namely, games and virtual worlds, forensic science, and design—did not elicit any great detail and information about how well they are supported and whether they will continue.
The new facility at Tuggeranong is clearly still in early planning, post-election promise stage. I suspect the costings are not far from back-of-the-envelope calculations if the dialogue between the chair and the minister were anything to go by. That aside, if there is demand in the south, which the minister and CIT assured the committee there was, I look forward to hearing about developments with the new campus.
I have asked in successive estimates about accommodation for students. It appears, like the Tuggeranong campus question, to be on the wish list drawing board. CIT plays an important lead role in training in this territory and needs to be at the forefront of the skills required in the workplace. I think there has been a lot of distraction in recent years with talks of mergers and takeovers and dysfunctional staff issues. I trust that is now all behind CIT and they can look forward to new beginnings with the forthcoming new governance arrangements.
MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Disability, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Racing and Gaming, Minister for Women and Minister for the Arts) (11.09): It gives me great pleasure to speak about CIT and how the government, through the budget and other decisions, is positioning CIT for a strong and certain future.
CIT is the largest RTO and public provider of vocational education and training across the ACT, offering over 400 courses ranging from certificates, traineeships and apprenticeships through to diplomas and degrees. Last year, CIT trained over 25,000
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