Hon Barry House questions the Minister for Education and Training about flexibility for apprenticeships after recent shortening of terms. The Minister confirms options for transferring to shorter apprenticeships will be available.

AnsweredQoN 865Legislative Council
Asked
10 November 2005
Portfolio
Education and Training

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the welcome recent announcement to shorten the time periods for several apprenticeship areas. (1) Will any consideration be given to introducing more flexibility into areas in which apprentices have recently locked into four-year terms? (2) If not, does the minister acknowledge the possibility of many of these apprentices prematurely leaving and re-enrolling in one of the new shorter apprenticeships? (3) What is the contingency plan to address this situation? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. Before I go to the specifics, I want to make a couple of comments about the restructured State Training Board and the work of the Skills Formation Taskforce. The shortening of the trades in the building and construction industry, both within the commercial and the housing sectors, is a significant breakthrough in terms of trade durations. Hon Barry House : I am pleased you have taken our advice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am very disappointed that in the eight years the coalition was in government, it did nothing about this issue because there was no shortening of trade periods. I also want to put on the record that the building and construction industry is the first area in which the industrial partners have reached agreement. However, work is ongoing in the automotive, hospitality and mining and metals areas and significant progress is being made. (1) Yes. In the transitional period, apprentices and employers will be given an option to transfer into the shortened term apprenticeships. (2)-(3) Not applicable.
(1) Will any consideration be given to introducing more flexibility into areas in which apprentices have recently locked into four-year terms? (2) If not, does the minister acknowledge the possibility of many of these apprentices prematurely leaving and re-enrolling in one of the new shorter apprenticeships? (3) What is the contingency plan to address this situation? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Before I go to the specifics, I want to make a couple of comments about the restructured State Training Board and the work of the Skills Formation Taskforce. The shortening of the trades in the building and construction industry, both within the commercial and the housing sectors, is a significant breakthrough in terms of trade durations. Hon Barry House : I am pleased you have taken our advice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am very disappointed that in the eight years the coalition was in government, it did nothing about this issue because there was no shortening of trade periods. I also want to put on the record that the building and construction industry is the first area in which the industrial partners have reached agreement. However, work is ongoing in the automotive, hospitality and mining and metals areas and significant progress is being made. (1) Yes. In the transitional period, apprentices and employers will be given an option to transfer into the shortened term apprenticeships. (2)-(3) Not applicable.
(2) If not, does the minister acknowledge the possibility of many of these apprentices prematurely leaving and re-enrolling in one of the new shorter apprenticeships? (3) What is the contingency plan to address this situation? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Before I go to the specifics, I want to make a couple of comments about the restructured State Training Board and the work of the Skills Formation Taskforce. The shortening of the trades in the building and construction industry, both within the commercial and the housing sectors, is a significant breakthrough in terms of trade durations. Hon Barry House : I am pleased you have taken our advice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am very disappointed that in the eight years the coalition was in government, it did nothing about this issue because there was no shortening of trade periods. I also want to put on the record that the building and construction industry is the first area in which the industrial partners have reached agreement. However, work is ongoing in the automotive, hospitality and mining and metals areas and significant progress is being made. (1) Yes. In the transitional period, apprentices and employers will be given an option to transfer into the shortened term apprenticeships. (2)-(3) Not applicable.
(3) What is the contingency plan to address this situation? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Before I go to the specifics, I want to make a couple of comments about the restructured State Training Board and the work of the Skills Formation Taskforce. The shortening of the trades in the building and construction industry, both within the commercial and the housing sectors, is a significant breakthrough in terms of trade durations. Hon Barry House : I am pleased you have taken our advice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am very disappointed that in the eight years the coalition was in government, it did nothing about this issue because there was no shortening of trade periods. I also want to put on the record that the building and construction industry is the first area in which the industrial partners have reached agreement. However, work is ongoing in the automotive, hospitality and mining and metals areas and significant progress is being made. (1) Yes. In the transitional period, apprentices and employers will be given an option to transfer into the shortened term apprenticeships. (2)-(3) Not applicable.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. Before I go to the specifics, I want to make a couple of comments about the restructured State Training Board and the work of the Skills Formation Taskforce. The shortening of the trades in the building and construction industry, both within the commercial and the housing sectors, is a significant breakthrough in terms of trade durations. Hon Barry House : I am pleased you have taken our advice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am very disappointed that in the eight years the coalition was in government, it did nothing about this issue because there was no shortening of trade periods. I also want to put on the record that the building and construction industry is the first area in which the industrial partners have reached agreement. However, work is ongoing in the automotive, hospitality and mining and metals areas and significant progress is being made. (1) Yes. In the transitional period, apprentices and employers will be given an option to transfer into the shortened term apprenticeships. (2)-(3) Not applicable.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. Before I go to the specifics, I want to make a couple of comments about the restructured State Training Board and the work of the Skills Formation Taskforce. The shortening of the trades in the building and construction industry, both within the commercial and the housing sectors, is a significant breakthrough in terms of trade durations. Hon Barry House : I am pleased you have taken our advice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am very disappointed that in the eight years the coalition was in government, it did nothing about this issue because there was no shortening of trade periods. I also want to put on the record that the building and construction industry is the first area in which the industrial partners have reached agreement. However, work is ongoing in the automotive, hospitality and mining and metals areas and significant progress is being made. (1) Yes. In the transitional period, apprentices and employers will be given an option to transfer into the shortened term apprenticeships. (2)-(3) Not applicable.
Hon Barry House : I am pleased you have taken our advice. Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am very disappointed that in the eight years the coalition was in government, it did nothing about this issue because there was no shortening of trade periods. I also want to put on the record that the building and construction industry is the first area in which the industrial partners have reached agreement. However, work is ongoing in the automotive, hospitality and mining and metals areas and significant progress is being made. (1) Yes. In the transitional period, apprentices and employers will be given an option to transfer into the shortened term apprenticeships. (2)-(3) Not applicable.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH : I am very disappointed that in the eight years the coalition was in government, it did nothing about this issue because there was no shortening of trade periods. I also want to put on the record that the building and construction industry is the first area in which the industrial partners have reached agreement. However, work is ongoing in the automotive, hospitality and mining and metals areas and significant progress is being made. (1) Yes. In the transitional period, apprentices and employers will be given an option to transfer into the shortened term apprenticeships. (2)-(3) Not applicable.
(1) Yes. In the transitional period, apprentices and employers will be given an option to transfer into the shortened term apprenticeships. (2)-(3) Not applicable.
(2)-(3) Not applicable.

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