❓ Mr. Nalder questions the Treasurer on the fulfilment of an election promise regarding apprenticeships at Western Power. The Treasurer defends the government's record, citing broader training initiatives across multiple utilities.
AnsweredQoN 728Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
WESTERN POWER — APPRENTICESHIPS
728. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Treasurer's
media statement on 13 September 2018 that outlines that Western Power has 15 apprentices.
Can the Treasurer confirm that he has failed to deliver on the Premier's
election promise of 50 additional apprenticeships at Western Power every year?
728. Mr D.C. NALDER to the Treasurer:
I refer to the Treasurer's
media statement on 13 September 2018 that outlines that Western Power has 15 apprentices.
Can the Treasurer confirm that he has failed to deliver on the Premier's
election promise of 50 additional apprenticeships at Western Power every year?
AnswerView source ↗
I can confirm that we are delivering
on more new opportunities for Western Australians. In fact, I think the member
will see in that media statement as well that when you incorporate Synergy, as
well as Horizon Power, it is 100 new positions for Western Australians, whether
it be by way of direct training, whether it be by pre-apprenticeships or by way
of educational outcomes for kids in the south west in particular. I am
surprised the member is disappointed by this. This is a good outcome, and it is
a good example of why we have kept ownership of these utilities, because they
have allowed us to say, ''What we want to see is you invest in the new
workforce.''
What is also happening, Mr Speaker,
is, of course, the changing nature of the demands of our energy utilities. The
Premier and I were in Port Hedland not that long ago, and we went out and
visited a range of employees who have been working with Horizon Power for a long
period of time. They were involved with the undergrounding of a large amount of
Horizon Power's assets, so their skill base had actually changed. What
they were previously doing was very different now that they had undergrounded a
big part of the grid, so Horizon retrained them over a period of time. Some of these
people had been working for Horizon Power for 20-plus years, so it was a big
effort to retrain them, so that they could then do the sorts of technological —
Mrs L.M. Harvey : Did they
take on apprentices?
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough!
Mr B.S. WYATT : The
technological work that is much more required with respect to undergrounding.
This is a good thing. I think when we bring together 100 new opportunities for Western
Australians, both in terms of retraining employees and creating new
opportunities for Western Australian, all I would expect would be support from
the Liberal Party, but I am not surprised that I am getting interjected on by
the minister who increased TAFE fees by 500 per cent, because the whole time
she was in government, she took a wrecking ball through the training system of Western
Australia.
on more new opportunities for Western Australians. In fact, I think the member
will see in that media statement as well that when you incorporate Synergy, as
well as Horizon Power, it is 100 new positions for Western Australians, whether
it be by way of direct training, whether it be by pre-apprenticeships or by way
of educational outcomes for kids in the south west in particular. I am
surprised the member is disappointed by this. This is a good outcome, and it is
a good example of why we have kept ownership of these utilities, because they
have allowed us to say, ''What we want to see is you invest in the new
workforce.''
What is also happening, Mr Speaker,
is, of course, the changing nature of the demands of our energy utilities. The
Premier and I were in Port Hedland not that long ago, and we went out and
visited a range of employees who have been working with Horizon Power for a long
period of time. They were involved with the undergrounding of a large amount of
Horizon Power's assets, so their skill base had actually changed. What
they were previously doing was very different now that they had undergrounded a
big part of the grid, so Horizon retrained them over a period of time. Some of these
people had been working for Horizon Power for 20-plus years, so it was a big
effort to retrain them, so that they could then do the sorts of technological —
Mrs L.M. Harvey : Did they
take on apprentices?
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough!
Mr B.S. WYATT : The
technological work that is much more required with respect to undergrounding.
This is a good thing. I think when we bring together 100 new opportunities for Western
Australians, both in terms of retraining employees and creating new
opportunities for Western Australian, all I would expect would be support from
the Liberal Party, but I am not surprised that I am getting interjected on by
the minister who increased TAFE fees by 500 per cent, because the whole time
she was in government, she took a wrecking ball through the training system of Western
Australia.
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