Page 157 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 10 February 2016
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Just this week we turned the first sod on the new public hospital at the University of Canberra, showcasing the partnership with the University of Canberra to enable them to grow and thrive. In this instance, in addition to improving health services, the construction of the hospital will also see more jobs over the coming years, as well as improving economic activity in the local area.
Our vocational education and training sector also excels in its ability to look at the big picture and adapt to our rapidly developing economy. Canberra’s VET sector is flexible in actively identifying the jobs of the future and providing Canberrans with the skills to fill these jobs. This allows businesses to meet their current and future skills needs.
In particular, this government acknowledges the important role of CIT as both the ACT’s public provider and its largest registered training organisation. CIT trains 72 per cent of apprentices in the ACT in close partnership with their employers. I am also looking forward to the establishment of the new CIT campus in Tuggeranong. The higher education and VET sectors generate knowledge and equip Canberrans with skills that help our economy excel. I look forward to working with the stakeholders in these sectors. (Time expired.)
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Burch.
MS BURCH: Can the minister outline how capital metro will interact with the ACT higher education sector?
MS FITZHARRIS: I thank Ms Burch for the supplementary question. Capital metro will provide many benefits to Canberra, and the higher education sector will receive its share. The first and most obvious will be the relationship with jobs. Local industry participation is expected to include 60 apprentices and trainee roles during construction. These are real jobs for real Canberrans, getting a great start in education and in their working lives.
It is also expected to lead to 40 University of New South Wales Canberra work experience placements during the construction phase. This will help in building capability in engineering, including opportunities for students studying engineering courses open to civilians. Engineering capability is critical to building a robust economy.
The project is also expected to lead to 10 new graduate jobs, providing immediate transition from study to employment, and better links between our higher education sector and our labour market. More broadly, the 20-year operations phase will bring opportunities for the people of Canberra in hospitality, technical education and trades, including construction, project management and rail systems operation—a booming global industry.
This project is yet another example of how the government is making linkages and investment in our economy’s strengths, the global economy and our vision for the future. Canberra Metro has also publicly stated that 90 per cent of jobs will be sourced locally during the construction phase and 75 per cent of jobs will be sourced locally during the operational phase.
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