❓ Ms. Mitchell questions the Minister about actions taken to address industry concerns regarding the quality and relevance of vocational education and training (VET) in WA high schools. The Minister outlines initiatives including developing a good practice model with industry input and auditing schools to ensure they meet required standards.
AnsweredQoN 252Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN SCHOOLS
252. Ms A.R. MITCHELL to the
Minister for Training and Workforce Development:
Before the last election, industry stakeholders had raised
concerns about the quality and relevance of vocational education and training
being delivered in Western Australian high schools. What has the minister done
to address those concerns from industry?
The SPEAKER : I am
sorry, just sit down, please. Deputy Premier, I call you to order for the first
time. I do not want to hear —
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER : He
might get thrown out, member for Girrawheen, but you will be with him, so I
call you to order for the first time. Member for Kingsley, can you repeat that
question?
Ms A.R. MITCHELL :
Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Training and
Workforce Development.
Before the last election, industry stakeholders had raised
concerns about the quality and relevance of vocational education and training
being delivered in Western Australian high schools. What has the minister done
to address those concerns from industry?
252. Ms A.R. MITCHELL to the
Minister for Training and Workforce Development:
Before the last election, industry stakeholders had raised
concerns about the quality and relevance of vocational education and training
being delivered in Western Australian high schools. What has the minister done
to address those concerns from industry?
The SPEAKER : I am
sorry, just sit down, please. Deputy Premier, I call you to order for the first
time. I do not want to hear —
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER : He
might get thrown out, member for Girrawheen, but you will be with him, so I
call you to order for the first time. Member for Kingsley, can you repeat that
question?
Ms A.R. MITCHELL :
Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Training and
Workforce Development.
Before the last election, industry stakeholders had raised
concerns about the quality and relevance of vocational education and training
being delivered in Western Australian high schools. What has the minister done
to address those concerns from industry?
AnswerView source ↗
I had a great opportunity today to go out with the member for
Kingsley to Woodvale Secondary College to look at the training services for
future employment opportunities, particularly apprenticeship roles, that it
provides for people still at high school. It is a very impressive school. I
wish I had one as good as that over my way, I must say. It has a very high
quality of standards —
Mr R.H. Cook : You
have one in Dianella!
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
am talking about in Mandurah.
Very high quality services are being provided at that school.
It was great to have food cooked for us by young people. Members will wish they
had been there. It was of an extremely high quality. The service provided as
part of their hospitality training was excellent. However, the reason we went
to Woodvale is that in the lead-up to the last election, a lot of criticism was
coming out of industry at the standard and quality of training within schools.
In fact I heard a comment from the hospitality industry that someone getting a
certificate in hospitality could not dice an onion. I think that was the term
used. The standard was therefore being highly criticised. We said that we would
do something about that and we have. The two things we have done include: one,
we have developed a good practice model—that is, sitting together with
industry to work out details of exactly what quality of training that needs to
be—and, two, we have made sure that all of our schools providing that
training are audited and brought up to the standard where they can enter the
industry well trained to undertake those things listed under the requirements.
Schools will have a clear set of standards that have to be achieved.
We will then work with the schools to make sure we can provide those standards—not
only with those schools that are not providing adequate standards, but with the
schools that are—to make sure that they can get out to the lesser
quality schools to show them what they are doing. Woodvale Secondary College is
a great example of a school that is doing everything right. Given the fact it
has two Beazley Medal award winners in its midst, we will be using them as an
example to go to other schools to provide training to make sure we
significantly lift the standard of that training.
Kingsley to Woodvale Secondary College to look at the training services for
future employment opportunities, particularly apprenticeship roles, that it
provides for people still at high school. It is a very impressive school. I
wish I had one as good as that over my way, I must say. It has a very high
quality of standards —
Mr R.H. Cook : You
have one in Dianella!
Dr K.D. HAMES : I
am talking about in Mandurah.
Very high quality services are being provided at that school.
It was great to have food cooked for us by young people. Members will wish they
had been there. It was of an extremely high quality. The service provided as
part of their hospitality training was excellent. However, the reason we went
to Woodvale is that in the lead-up to the last election, a lot of criticism was
coming out of industry at the standard and quality of training within schools.
In fact I heard a comment from the hospitality industry that someone getting a
certificate in hospitality could not dice an onion. I think that was the term
used. The standard was therefore being highly criticised. We said that we would
do something about that and we have. The two things we have done include: one,
we have developed a good practice model—that is, sitting together with
industry to work out details of exactly what quality of training that needs to
be—and, two, we have made sure that all of our schools providing that
training are audited and brought up to the standard where they can enter the
industry well trained to undertake those things listed under the requirements.
Schools will have a clear set of standards that have to be achieved.
We will then work with the schools to make sure we can provide those standards—not
only with those schools that are not providing adequate standards, but with the
schools that are—to make sure that they can get out to the lesser
quality schools to show them what they are doing. Woodvale Secondary College is
a great example of a school that is doing everything right. Given the fact it
has two Beazley Medal award winners in its midst, we will be using them as an
example to go to other schools to provide training to make sure we
significantly lift the standard of that training.
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