Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows—

AUSTRALIAN TECHNICAL COLLEGES (FLEXIBILITY IN ACHIEVING AUSTRALIA’S SKILLS NEEDS) AMENDMENT BILL 2006

This bill is a measure of the great successes achieved to date in implementing the Australian Technical Colleges initiative. It is another example of a Howard Government election commitment which has been enthusiastically embraced by the community, by industry and employers. In fact they want more Australian Technical Colleges. And of course another example where those opposite got it so very wrong. Their failing to understand the fundamentals and reasons for establishing Australian Technical Colleges and their confusing references to State and Territory run TAFE’s are just some examples of their ineptness. This bill clearly demonstrates how well the Colleges have been received by the communities in which they are to be established.

With Kym Richardson the member for Kingston’s unyielding support, the community and local industry in Adelaide South have secured a former school and buildings abandoned by the South Australian Government and which has stood vacant for seven years. This will now become a state of the art Australian Technical College providing a real choice for young Australians in the region. In north Brisbane the member for Petrie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Teresa Gambaro has strongly supported her community and local industry in the establishment of an Australian Technical College which has also received the strong backing of the Redcliffe City Council and Commerce Queensland.

The New South Wales State Government’s ideological opposition to school based new apprenticeships or part time apprenticeships and their centralising of education and training rather than listening to local communities has meant the blocking of the establishment of Australian Technical Colleges in Lismore/Ballina, Queanbeyan and Dubbo. The NSW Government needs to stand out of the way of this initiative so that the local communities and employers in these regions can also share in the establishment of Australian Technical Colleges. 

Already four Colleges are in operation, with another to commence later this year, and at least 20 expected to be in operation in 2007. Each of the Colleges is strongly supported by local industry. Industry and business people are taking a leading role in the management of the Colleges and have shown great support for the Australian Technical Colleges initiative.

This bill brings forward funds from later years to support the establishment of the Colleges in 2006 and 2007. This movement of funds does not reflect an increase in costs for the programme. The total funding appropriated under the Australian Technical Colleges (Flexibility in Achieving Australia’s Skills Needs) Act 2005 will remain unchanged, with $343.6 million being available over the period to 2009 to support the establishment and operation of 25 Colleges.

Twenty or more Colleges will be in operation in 2007, and many of these will have established new schools. Funding is needed for the establishment phase for these Colleges, so more expenditure will be required in 2006 and 2007 than originally planned, and less required in the later years.

This bill also provides for flexibility in the management of the appropriation by introducing a regulation-making power which will allow funding appropriated for a particular calendar year to be carried over to a future year or brought forward to an earlier year.

The Australian Technical Colleges initiative is an innovative programme that offers significant flexibility to allow each College to operate in a manner that best meets the needs of industry and students in the region in which it is established. Having the flexibility to expend funds as they are required is important for the continued success of the programme.

Passage of this bill will ensure the steady progression of the Australian Technical Colleges initiative which will allow up to 7,500 young Australians per year to undertake high quality education and training, relevant to a nation building trade career. The Australian Government is committed to raising the profile of vocational and technical education. Attracting young people to the trades is vital for Australia’s future and is an important step in addressing the skills needs across a number of industries. The Australian Technical Colleges initiative offers a new approach to achieving this, and forms an important part of the Australian Government’s strategy for tackling skill shortages. The Australian Technical Colleges will promote trade qualifications as highly valued as a university degree and will develop a reputation that will show students and parents that vocational and technical education provides access to careers that are secure, lucrative and rewarding.

I commend this bill to the Senate.

Debate (on motion by Senator Coonan) adjourned.