Page 4149 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
programs, and access 10, an alternative year 10 program to traditional schooling; the CIT Yurauna Centre, which provides dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teaching and support, enhancing employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; and providing access and opportunity for disadvantaged members of the community, including provision of training of young parents through a partnership with ETD and the Canberra College Cares initiatives, as well as the street shops program partnership with the Canberra Ted Noffs Foundation aimed at engaging youth at risk; and then there is the return to work for women program.
Skilled capital improves access and support for those experiencing disadvantage and maximising success for students by better aligning funding for training to areas of skill need. The success of our VET system compared to our peers across the country is a testament to its quality. As I previously mentioned, CIT students win awards year after year, both locally and nationally. Just a few months ago Minister Burch travelled to India to promote the ACT’s capability in VET to enhance collaborative education arrangements. This resulted in the signing of two memoranda of understanding between CIT and educational institutions and other commitments to work collaboratively to develop skills across several key areas in India.
This government remains committed to ensuring the ACT has a high quality VET system that delivers the best possible outcomes and is able to apply learning from other jurisdictions, both in Australia and abroad, to its continuous improvement. I congratulate Minister Burch on the recent reform work that has been done to ensure we have a strong VET sector, including the Review of vocational education and training in ACT public schools: future directions final report and response.
This was an opportunity to take a closer look at the intersection of our secondary schooling and training systems, that is, where vocational education and training is offered to students in ACT secondary schools. Young people have an entitlement to high quality education and training, and I look forward to the reforms outlined in this review being implemented to improve outcomes for our secondary students.
The Australian apprenticeships user choice review will also help improve outcomes for apprentices and trainees in the ACT. The ACT allocates approximately $13 million annually in Australian apprenticeship or user choice funds and currently funds 5,229 apprentices and trainees. Because of the scope of this program, it is imperative that these funds be managed effectively and responsibly. It is also important that the user choice program continues to be flexible and responsive to the needs of employers and the ACT economy, and that it reflects our training needs and priorities.
Minister Burch has already spoken in this place extensively about this review and how it will encourage increased enrolments and completion of qualifications. It will play a key role in supporting a vibrant VET sector in the ACT and will ensure that the training needs of students and local businesses are met.
Minister Burch has also worked hard to improve CIT governance with the CIT act amended in 2014 to replace the CIT advisory council with the governing board to better enable CIT to meet the twin objectives of operating as a public provider of
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video