Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

What I can tell the honourable senator is that since April 2008 the government has made available 42,000 training places through its Productivity Places Program, which is for people not currently in the workplace. Training places provide jobseekers with qualifications from certificate II through to diploma levels. There has been an outstanding response to the program and all the places available for this year have now been fully utilised. So I can only presume that the senator is now suggesting that there has been some inadequacy in terms of the supply of places in Tasmania; I do not believe that to be the case. To ensure jobseekers are still able to access training in crucial skills shortage areas for the rest of the year, last week the minister announced an additional investment of $45.5 million for an additional 15,000 training places at certificate III level to be made available to jobseekers— (Time expired)