Page 38 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 12 February 2019

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personal note, I was particularly pleased to be able to join with staff and students at the opening of the new CIT dental clinic in early December. They really do some remarkable work there, and their commitment and passion to that work is commendable.

Since 1928 CIT and its predecessor organisations have provided technical and further education in the ACT and surrounding regions. As the nature of training delivery and the needs of the labour market have developed, so too has CIT evolved to address those needs.

The establishment of the governing board in 2015 is just one example of CIT’s adaptability and capacity to embrace a client-focused, efficient and effective service delivery model. Since then the board has supported the development and implementation of CIT’s strategic vision.

In July 2016 CIT released the strategic compass 2020, which established its vision and direction under four pillars: shaping change; growing our region’s economy; advancing Canberra’s workforce; and transforming our business. The bill we are debating today will implement changes to the board structure to ensure that CIT is well placed to deliver the objectives of the strategic compass 2020, in particular, transforming business to meet the increasingly competitive and rapidly changing circumstances of vocational education and the training market.

As the ACT and region’s largest provider CIT currently delivers structured training to approximately 20,000 students each year. The scope of training and the qualifications offered by CIT clearly demonstrate that it is a critical part of not only our economic infrastructure but also our community. CIT exemplifies the ACT government’s commitment to inclusion and ensuring equitable access to training, to assist individuals to meet their needs and aspirations, and to equip them for the jobs of the future.

In recent times CIT has undertaken significant activity in response to and in collaboration with emerging industries. This ensures that the right knowledge and skills will meet and fuel the demand for capable workers in fast-growing sectors, crucial to the economic performance and sustainability of the territory.

Initiatives include purpose-built facilities that respond to contemporary needs, like the training security operation centre that opened in November 2018 to support the delivery of cyber security qualifications, and like the dental clinic that I mentioned before. It is essential that CIT is in the best position to continue to respond to local workforce development needs and the needs of a modern economy.

The new board will be well positioned to address challenges, identify new areas of demand and continue to pursue excellence as the ACT’s largest public provider of vocational education and training. This bill removes the appointment of ACT government members to the board, consequently reducing the minimum number of members from nine to seven.


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