Mr BONSON - 2004-08-24
Support for young people is something very important to me and the residents of Millner. Could you please advise the House on the intake of apprentices through the government’s Entry Level Program?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his important question. The Entry Level Programs Unit is an area of my department of DCIS that I take a very close interest in. It coordinates the entry of apprentices and trainees into the public sector, and they do a great job.
If there is one thing that is a real issue in our economy at the moment, it is a skilled work force. Government and the private sector have an absolute responsibility to give young people a go; to really focus on apprenticeships and traineeships. I am pleased to be able to say that this government is certainly putting the shoulder to the wheel to that effect at the moment. It is the role of my department to coordinate and manage the intake of apprenticeships through the new apprenticeships program, and the Structured Training and Employment Project, known as STEP.
Under the NT Jobs Plan, the government allocated funding to agencies to increase employment opportunities in the form of new apprenticeships. As I said, we are looking at the issue of value for money in the procurement process and in tenders for government work, as well as the responsibility of government to invest in young people in traineeships and apprenticeships.
Just eight months into the apprenticeship program for 2004, we can already see significant progress. This year, the total number of apprentices employed across the government is 120, increased from 53 in 2003. I have travelled to all of the DCIS work sites across the Northern Territory, and taken it upon myself to meet as many of these new apprentices as possible. It was absolutely fantastic to see young people out of school Years 11 and 12 in their first few days in the work place, and how excited they are to be given the opportunity.
However, also very importantly, these apprentices are out in the regions. There are nine apprentices in Katherine. I met two of them earlier this year while I was there. That is up from two the year before. Local Katherine people are getting an opportunity in government.
The member for Nhulunbuy will be pleased to know there are four apprentices in his town. There are 20 apprentices in Alice Springs spread throughout the departments. I am sure the member for Barkly will be pleased to hear that there are five apprentices currently in Tennant Creek. Young people across the Northern Territory are being given a go by the government. The remaining number are in Darwin.
I am sure my new CEO is listening to this. As I travelled through DCIS - the department I inherited early this year - visiting NT Fleet, I asked the workshop foreman whether we had any apprentices. He said: ‘No, we have not had an apprentice for years’. I informed him: ‘We had better change that’. We are now in the process of recruiting an apprentice motor mechanic at NT Fleet. It was the same at the Government Printing Office. Again, we had not had an apprentice there for many years. One of the things a minister can do is say: ‘I believe we need an apprentice or two there’. We are now recruiting an apprentice at the Government Printing Office.
I urge all members of this House to get behind the apprenticeship program. It is important that we train our own in the Northern Territory. We are expecting the private sector to do it. It is the responsibility of government to put the shoulder to the wheel, and that is what we are doing.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Millner for his important question. The Entry Level Programs Unit is an area of my department of DCIS that I take a very close interest in. It coordinates the entry of apprentices and trainees into the public sector, and they do a great job.
If there is one thing that is a real issue in our economy at the moment, it is a skilled work force. Government and the private sector have an absolute responsibility to give young people a go; to really focus on apprenticeships and traineeships. I am pleased to be able to say that this government is certainly putting the shoulder to the wheel to that effect at the moment. It is the role of my department to coordinate and manage the intake of apprenticeships through the new apprenticeships program, and the Structured Training and Employment Project, known as STEP.
Under the NT Jobs Plan, the government allocated funding to agencies to increase employment opportunities in the form of new apprenticeships. As I said, we are looking at the issue of value for money in the procurement process and in tenders for government work, as well as the responsibility of government to invest in young people in traineeships and apprenticeships.
Just eight months into the apprenticeship program for 2004, we can already see significant progress. This year, the total number of apprentices employed across the government is 120, increased from 53 in 2003. I have travelled to all of the DCIS work sites across the Northern Territory, and taken it upon myself to meet as many of these new apprentices as possible. It was absolutely fantastic to see young people out of school Years 11 and 12 in their first few days in the work place, and how excited they are to be given the opportunity.
However, also very importantly, these apprentices are out in the regions. There are nine apprentices in Katherine. I met two of them earlier this year while I was there. That is up from two the year before. Local Katherine people are getting an opportunity in government.
The member for Nhulunbuy will be pleased to know there are four apprentices in his town. There are 20 apprentices in Alice Springs spread throughout the departments. I am sure the member for Barkly will be pleased to hear that there are five apprentices currently in Tennant Creek. Young people across the Northern Territory are being given a go by the government. The remaining number are in Darwin.
I am sure my new CEO is listening to this. As I travelled through DCIS - the department I inherited early this year - visiting NT Fleet, I asked the workshop foreman whether we had any apprentices. He said: ‘No, we have not had an apprentice for years’. I informed him: ‘We had better change that’. We are now in the process of recruiting an apprentice motor mechanic at NT Fleet. It was the same at the Government Printing Office. Again, we had not had an apprentice there for many years. One of the things a minister can do is say: ‘I believe we need an apprentice or two there’. We are now recruiting an apprentice at the Government Printing Office.
I urge all members of this House to get behind the apprenticeship program. It is important that we train our own in the Northern Territory. We are expecting the private sector to do it. It is the responsibility of government to put the shoulder to the wheel, and that is what we are doing.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016