Page 1091 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 25 March 2015
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funds, which are aligned to the ACT skills needs list prepared by ETD in consultation with CMTEDD and Australian Apprenticeships funding.
Technical and further education institutions are also important in helping overcome social and regional disadvantage. Through the provision of training and foundation skills to some of our most vulnerable Canberrans, CIT assists many people to access mainstream education opportunities or increase economic participation through re-skilling, upskilling and developing bridging skills, such as language, literacy and numeracy.
As I have said, CIT is the largest RTO and the only public provider of technical and further education in the ACT. An ongoing challenge for us all is raising the profile of vocational education and training and ensuring its benefits are understood right across our community. It is vital that we have a strong public provider as well as a vibrant private market competing to deliver government-funded training. We have over 160Â registered training organisations with an ACT funding agreement, yet CIT delivers over 80 per cent of VET in the ACT, demonstrating the crucial role it plays in skill and human capital development in Canberra and the region.
Given the current challenges facing the ACT economy, the importance of CIT being able to respond to industry demand from age cohorts where unemployment may increase will be imperative to the Government’s economic and social outcomes in the coming years. It has been said that lifelong learning is the key to remaining competitive and maintaining and enhancing community prosperity. Lifelong learning not only encompasses the development of skills that an individual can use to enhance productivity for business and improve life chances but also encompasses professional development and social learning in which the role of education is to promote economic growth on an equitable basis.
CIT is more than an industry-led organisation; it is for individuals too. The size and scope of CIT allow for comprehensive student support services that reflect the diversity of CIT students and respond to their needs. Student services include counselling, disability support, financial assistance, international student support, migrant support, peer tutoring, youth support, student equity and the CIT Yurauna Centre dedicated to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
CIT responds to demand through offering short courses as well as a range of accredited courses and fee-for-service programs, often strongly customised to meet the individual requirements of an enterprise or student cohort. Importantly, strong industry links have allowed for partnerships leading to customised training delivery in regional and remote areas. By cultivating and maintaining strong links with local and regional industries and government, CIT continues to be responsive to local and national workforce development needs.
It is for these reasons that I call on the government to continue to ensure that the ACT continues to benefit from the economic and social benefits of skills education and training, that ACT residents continue to have access to high quality public TAFE through CIT, and that CIT remains a high quality and responsive training provider that meets the needs of its students, employers and the broader ACT community. I commend this motion to members.
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