Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to incorporate my speech summing up the second reading debate.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

The Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in Achieving Australia’s Skills Needs) Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2007 demonstrates the continued commitment from the Australian Government to invest in measures aimed at meeting the future skills needs of the nation and promoting the value of trade based education.

The additional funding provided under this Bill will ensure that a further three Australian Technical Colleges can be established in the regions of greater Penrith, northern Perth and southern Brisbane, adding to the existing 25 Colleges that have already been announced by the Government. These three new regions all have strong local industry support for the establishment of Colleges and have high unmet demand for skilled labour and many young people.

The benefit of these Colleges to these regions cannot be overstated. Once fully operational, up to 450 students will graduate from the additional Colleges every year. These young people will achieve their senior secondary certificate, as well as being up to one third of their way through an apprenticeship in a trade that is in an industry of need in their region. These students will be highly trained, having had exposure to the same state-of-the-art equipment used by industry. They will also be highly motivated, having had a high level of tailored support and mentoring that would not be available to them at other schools. They will have a strong foundation to continue with their preferred trade, having already worked in that industry area for up to two years and having received a specialised education that incorporates enterprise education, small business and employability skills.

The Australian Technical Colleges can only achieve these outcomes and become centres of excellence, lighthouses in trade training, if they are appropriately resourced.

The funding committed by the Government to the programme, $530.9 million over 7 years, shows how serious this Government is about raising the profile of vocational and technical education. This level of funding ensures that each College has the capacity to develop or access the latest machinery and equipment, and to employ or engage highly experienced and qualified teaching and vocational training staff. As these Colleges are specialised institutions, they are also able to offer a flexible and fully integrated education and training programme that allows students to complete the requirements of a senior secondary education and undertake trade training in a Certificate Ill Australian School-based Apprenticeship. As a result, students will be exposed to more realistic work experiences which will assist them in making a smoother transition into a full-time Australian Apprenticeship at the end of Year 12.

The Australian Technical Colleges programme will also go towards addressing the mistakes made 20 to 30 years ago when as a community we started to talk down the trades and we closed all the technical high schools around the country. About 60% of our modern workforce needs a high quality technical education. Currently only 30% have these skills. The Colleges will help to re-balance who does what, and help restore pride and excellence in trade skills training for young people. Encouraging more young people to consider a career in the traditional trades and to participate in the training is a vital and positive development for the training system as a whole.

Currently, 21 Colleges are already operating and more than 1,800 students are benefiting from the high quality education and training that the Colleges offer. This shows that the Australian people have recognised not only the benefits of the Colleges but also the benefits that a trade based and focused education can offer young people. The fact that five State Governments have followed the lead of the Australian Government by establishing their own trade schools is recognition of the importance to Australia’s future of having a pool of qualified trades people available to meet future skills needs.

Four more Colleges are expected to open in 2008, and the three additional Colleges that will be supported through the passage of this Bill will open in 2009. Industry, business and community support for the Colleges are the key reasons why Colleges have been able to be established in such short time frames. It normally takes an average of about three years to establish a new school. Yet the majority of the Australian Technical Colleges have been able to commence operations in a period of less than 18 months.

Industry leadership has proved to be the right model for the Colleges. Each College is driven by local industry, and responds directly to the specific needs of industry. This leadership not only ensures that students are trained and educated according to current industry requirements, it also facilitates the Colleges ability to network with local industry to promote the benefits of Australian School-based Apprenticeship arrangements and work directly with employers to determine the best model for on-the-job training. Already, students and employers are seeing the benefits of such partnerships and over the years the relationship with industry will only grow and improve the outcomes of the Colleges. This close alignment will also enhance young people’s prospects for further training and career development now and into the future within their local region.

Passage of this Bill will provide the necessary $74.701 million funding to develop an Australian Technical College in another three key regions of Australia and provide opportunities for young people that will not only improve their long term prospects but also the future of the region in which they live. It is clear that in the coming years, there will be a huge demand for Australians with trade and technical skills. The Australian Government recognises this situation and has implemented a number of initiatives to address this matter. The Australian Technical Colleges programme is just one of these initiatives and support for this Bill is crucial to the success of the programme.

I commend the bill to the Senate.

Question negatived.

Original question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.