Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Defence Materiel, in writing, on 10 May 2011:

In respect of a speech made to the Australian Industry Group on 25 June 2010 by the then Minister for Defence Materiel and Science, where it was said that between 2009 and 2015, the Government expects to create 7500 training opportunities and provide places for 3500 students to participate in Defence Industry Pathway Programs, to date, how many:

(a) training positions have so far been created, and at what

(i) cost per position, and (ii) total cost; and

(b) school students have participated in industry pathway programs, and at what

(i) cost per participant, and (ii) total cost.

Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence Materiel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(a) The Skilling Australia's Defence Industry (SADI) Program has created 20,578 training opportunities since its inception in 2005. Eight hundred and thirty two training opportunities have been created through the Defence Industry Innovation Centre since 2010.

(i) The average cost per SADI opportunity, calculated by dividing total funding committed to the Program by the number of opportunities, is $2,646. However these training opportunities encompass everything from short one-day courses to Masters and Doctoral degrees over several years.

(ii) Total funds committed to the SADI Program from inception to end of financial year 2010-11 is $54,445,428.

(b) Seven hundred and seventy school students have participated in the Industry Pathway Programs to date (99 in SA; 400 in NSW; and 271 in WA).

(i) The cost per participant varies from state to state: $754 in SA; $350 in NSW; and $38 in WA. While the WA figure is comparatively low, WA has requested additional funding of approximately $2 million which, if agreed, will expand their program and alter the cost per student in WA.

(ii) Total cost per state: SA $74,646; NSW $140,000; WA $10,298. The total cost across the three states to date is $224,944.