Page 2972 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 15 September 2015
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how this can be achieved. I am confident that the imperatives I have outlined will ensure students, parents and industry can be reassured that vocational education and training will continue to be regarded as a high quality, legitimate and very rewarding pathway for young people to pursue their careers.
MS FITZHARRIS (Molonglo) (10.18): This morning the minister has noted seven key areas of reform identified in the ACT’s education and training sector which will result in a more diverse and meaningful curriculum for at least 15,000 secondary students in ACT public schools. These reforms will provide important opportunities for our students to explore within their secondary education by studying in VET subjects.
Out of the seven key areas of reform I would like to highlight two in particular. The first is that of ensuring that students have workplace learning opportunities. Work placements are an important aspect of practical learning for students. Work placements allow students to apply theory learnt at school in the workplace environment, an action often lacking in many mainstream school subjects. Placements also equip students with sound skills that can be applied in future jobs and careers. I certainly support the minister’s promise to improve business collaboration with education providers.
The second area of reform is that of improving the interaction of education providers to maximise the use of public training infrastructure. Efficiency and collaboration are key to providing unique and worthwhile experiences for students. I support the announcement of the Education and Training Directorate to work closely with CIT to investigate strategies that will reduce cost, broaden subject offerings and maximise access to shared facilities.
I will talk briefly about the national partnership agreement on skills reform. The reforms found from the review of vocational education and training in ACT public schools— future directions—complement many of the national reform agreements already in practice in the territory. By improving our delivery of VET education in ACT public secondary schools we are ensuring that many students can benefit from our national agreements. One such agreement is that of the national partnership agreement on skills reform, a significant reform in our education sector. The national agreement is complemented by the ACT skills needs list and the skilled capital initiative. These initiatives combined are strengthening the quality, access and transparency provided in our great territory.
The reforms noted today will enable students to have access to vocational education and training that is right for them. It is our duty as a government to support all students and assist them in achieving their aspirations for their future. These reforms are so important because they provide students with opportunities that they can directly transfer into further study or employment after leaving school. I am sure that the majority of the vocational education and training community agree that young people deserve to have opportunities to engage in learning and experiences that will build their pathways post their school experience. The reforms outlined by the minister will ensure that those students who choose to undertake VET subjects will have quality education and important interactions with the community and with industry.
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