❓ Mrs. Godfrey asks about a state government MOU with Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) guaranteeing employment for Aboriginal prisoners completing vocational training. The Minister details the VTET partnership focusing on Roebourne prison, offering training and guaranteed jobs with FMG.
AnsweredQoN 985Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT —
ABORIGINAL PRISONERS — VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
QUALIFICATIONS
985. Mrs G.J. GODFREY to the Minister for
Training and Workforce Development:
I understand the state government
recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Fortescue Metals Group that
guarantees an employment outcome for Aboriginal prisoners who complete a
vocational employment and training qualification.
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the second time.
Member for Belmont, start again, please.
Mrs
G.J. GODFREY : I understand that the state government recently signed a
memorandum of understanding with Fortescue Metals Group that guarantees an
employment outcome for Aboriginal prisoners who complete a vocational
employment and training qualification. Can the minister please inform the house
on this important initiative?
ABORIGINAL PRISONERS — VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
QUALIFICATIONS
985. Mrs G.J. GODFREY to the Minister for
Training and Workforce Development:
I understand the state government
recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Fortescue Metals Group that
guarantees an employment outcome for Aboriginal prisoners who complete a
vocational employment and training qualification.
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Girrawheen, I call you to order for the second time.
Member for Belmont, start again, please.
Mrs
G.J. GODFREY : I understand that the state government recently signed a
memorandum of understanding with Fortescue Metals Group that guarantees an
employment outcome for Aboriginal prisoners who complete a vocational
employment and training qualification. Can the minister please inform the house
on this important initiative?
AnswerView source ↗
I am more than happy to inform the house about this very
important initiative. I do so partly in my role as Minister for Training and
Workforce Development, and also on behalf of the Minister for Corrective
Services. Unfortunately, he is not here today, because he is dealing with a
very difficult family circumstance, and I wish him all the best with that.
Members will be aware that, four or five years ago, Andrew
Forrest started his employment covenant program, in which he guaranteed to find
businesses who would put up in the order of 5 000 jobs. I am pleased to say
that the Department of Health signed up as part of that initiative, to increase
the numbers of Aboriginal people in the workforce. The new federal government
decided that not enough action was being taken, and it was right, and it
committed to establishing centres for vocational education, otherwise known as
vocational technical education training, or VTET, to specifically train
Aboriginal people for those jobs that companies have committed to making
available, and to match the 5 000 jobseekers with jobs. In June this year, I
announced that Polytechnic West, which I know the member for Belmont is very
familiar with, was successful in becoming one of those training organisations.
Last Friday, the Minister for Corrective Services attended an event to launch a
new VTET partnership between the Department of Corrective Services and FMG. In
that partnership there is a special focus on Aboriginal prisoners in Roebourne.
Through the program, eight prisoners a year from Roebourne Regional Prison will
be given specific training and skills for specific jobs. They will be trained,
and they will be guaranteed jobs with FMG at the end of that training.
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : I
call the member for Warnbro to order for the second time.
Dr K.D. HAMES :
They will be guaranteed training with FMG at the end of that. There will be a
trial period at that work with FMG, and during that time the accommodation for
those people coming out of prisons will be provided by FMG. It is a great
program—perhaps only a start, but something we should focus a lot more
attention on, making sure that Aboriginal people in prison are trained with
guaranteed jobs to go to, with mentoring and support.
important initiative. I do so partly in my role as Minister for Training and
Workforce Development, and also on behalf of the Minister for Corrective
Services. Unfortunately, he is not here today, because he is dealing with a
very difficult family circumstance, and I wish him all the best with that.
Members will be aware that, four or five years ago, Andrew
Forrest started his employment covenant program, in which he guaranteed to find
businesses who would put up in the order of 5 000 jobs. I am pleased to say
that the Department of Health signed up as part of that initiative, to increase
the numbers of Aboriginal people in the workforce. The new federal government
decided that not enough action was being taken, and it was right, and it
committed to establishing centres for vocational education, otherwise known as
vocational technical education training, or VTET, to specifically train
Aboriginal people for those jobs that companies have committed to making
available, and to match the 5 000 jobseekers with jobs. In June this year, I
announced that Polytechnic West, which I know the member for Belmont is very
familiar with, was successful in becoming one of those training organisations.
Last Friday, the Minister for Corrective Services attended an event to launch a
new VTET partnership between the Department of Corrective Services and FMG. In
that partnership there is a special focus on Aboriginal prisoners in Roebourne.
Through the program, eight prisoners a year from Roebourne Regional Prison will
be given specific training and skills for specific jobs. They will be trained,
and they will be guaranteed jobs with FMG at the end of that training.
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER : I
call the member for Warnbro to order for the second time.
Dr K.D. HAMES :
They will be guaranteed training with FMG at the end of that. There will be a
trial period at that work with FMG, and during that time the accommodation for
those people coming out of prisons will be provided by FMG. It is a great
program—perhaps only a start, but something we should focus a lot more
attention on, making sure that Aboriginal people in prison are trained with
guaranteed jobs to go to, with mentoring and support.
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