Mr BURKE - 2005-08-23
The Martin government has committed to commencing 10 000 new apprentices and trainees over the next four years. Can you please advise the House what the government is doing to increase the level of skills overall in the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. because, aAs a new member to parliament, he has a strong focus and interest in employment and training matters generally, for which I commend him, unlike the chortlers from the side opposite. For 11 years, when I was in opposition, in every estimatescommittee stage of the Appropriation Bill I asked for the jobs plan: ‘Where is your jobs plan? What are you doing about skilling Territorians?’ ‘Oh no, we do not have one of those. We do not know what you are talking about’. Eleven years!
Well, this government created one for the work force in the Northern Territory, and I am proud of it. It will see, as the member for Brennan says, 10 000 people in training over the next four years. Build Skills NT is a complementary part of the Jobs Plan,. because iIncreasing skills in the community overall is not just a matter of the number of apprentices and trainees you have out there,. iIt is about increasing the skills of the existing work force that is there at the moment. We have launched the Build Skills NT program with a $500 000 annual sum attached to it.
That will be spent targeting workers, initially, in the automotive, building, construction, hospitality and mining industries,. because wWe want to upgrade the existing skills and build on the skills that we already have in the work force to meet the needs that we know that we are going to have. Many existing workers already have, of course, substantial experience and job knowledge, but they do not have the qualifications behind it. So tThis is a program that can assist those workers to become qualified, or achieve recognition that may be required for particular licensed parts of occupations.
Importantly, this is a relationship with industry and business in this program because this funding is injected directly to industry. It gives industry the flexibility to move their existing workers through new skill levels. Submissions will only be accepted from the peak employer associations and Unions NT. Guidelines have been developed. and We have distributed those to those peak employer and union bodies, and we expect to begin taking submissions in the very near future.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. because, aAs a new member to parliament, he has a strong focus and interest in employment and training matters generally, for which I commend him, unlike the chortlers from the side opposite. For 11 years, when I was in opposition, in every estimatescommittee stage of the Appropriation Bill I asked for the jobs plan: ‘Where is your jobs plan? What are you doing about skilling Territorians?’ ‘Oh no, we do not have one of those. We do not know what you are talking about’. Eleven years!
Well, this government created one for the work force in the Northern Territory, and I am proud of it. It will see, as the member for Brennan says, 10 000 people in training over the next four years. Build Skills NT is a complementary part of the Jobs Plan,. because iIncreasing skills in the community overall is not just a matter of the number of apprentices and trainees you have out there,. iIt is about increasing the skills of the existing work force that is there at the moment. We have launched the Build Skills NT program with a $500 000 annual sum attached to it.
That will be spent targeting workers, initially, in the automotive, building, construction, hospitality and mining industries,. because wWe want to upgrade the existing skills and build on the skills that we already have in the work force to meet the needs that we know that we are going to have. Many existing workers already have, of course, substantial experience and job knowledge, but they do not have the qualifications behind it. So tThis is a program that can assist those workers to become qualified, or achieve recognition that may be required for particular licensed parts of occupations.
Importantly, this is a relationship with industry and business in this program because this funding is injected directly to industry. It gives industry the flexibility to move their existing workers through new skill levels. Submissions will only be accepted from the peak employer associations and Unions NT. Guidelines have been developed. and We have distributed those to those peak employer and union bodies, and we expect to begin taking submissions in the very near future.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016