❓ Mr. Logan questions the Minister about decreased state training enrolments following fee increases. The Minister acknowledges the decrease, particularly in general industry courses, and outlines plans to address the impact, especially on Aboriginal communities.
AnsweredQoN 657Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
STATE
TRAINING PROVIDERS — FEES — STUDENT ENROLMENTS
657. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Training and Workforce Development:
I refer to reports that 5 200 fewer students are enrolled in
state training providers since the government significantly increased fees,
making it considerably more difficult to access training in this state.
(1) Will the minister now concede that increasing these fees
so substantially was an error?
(2) What will
the minister do to ensure that he regains those students who have been locked
out due to the fee increases?
(3) How are
the minister's policies helping our unemployed get the skills they need
to find the jobs of the future?
TRAINING PROVIDERS — FEES — STUDENT ENROLMENTS
657. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Training and Workforce Development:
I refer to reports that 5 200 fewer students are enrolled in
state training providers since the government significantly increased fees,
making it considerably more difficult to access training in this state.
(1) Will the minister now concede that increasing these fees
so substantially was an error?
(2) What will
the minister do to ensure that he regains those students who have been locked
out due to the fee increases?
(3) How are
the minister's policies helping our unemployed get the skills they need
to find the jobs of the future?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
During the last election, the government decided that the general subsidy for
students going through that training process in a range of levels was at an
unsustainable level—in the order of 80 per cent, and over in some
cases. The general decision was to bring that down to 70 per cent and phase
those changes in over a period of years. That change was put in place last year
and it has had an effect. The number of apprenticeship enrolments is pretty
much the same. Remember we have both enrolment numbers and curriculum hours, so
the combination of those is pretty much the same in apprenticeships. Diploma
enrolment levels are, again, pretty much steady. Enrolment in specialised areas—high-profile
jobs that are in demand in the state—are also steady. However, general
industry courses have experienced a significant decrease in enrolment in the
order of 20 per cent. Some of those are specific to Aboriginal communities.
That level of reduction is not acceptable, so my department is working with
Treasury on how we can modify that effect and maintain enrolments in the
system. I do not think anyone would find it reasonable if in retirement I
decided that I wanted to do a photography course because I like photography,
and the government subsidised 80 per cent of the cost of that course. But on
the other hand, Aboriginal people —
Mr F.M. Logan : It
was not 80 per cent for those types of courses.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It
used to be 90 per cent.
Mr F.M. Logan : Not
for those types of courses.
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Whatever. It was significantly subsidised by the government, and that level of
subsidy is being reduced to 70 per cent. In some cases, Aboriginal people who
have been out of the workforce and want to get back in need to do some of those
low-level courses to get back into work. We are doing two things: one is looking at how many of those in
general industry can be put into the required level of training and seeing what
can be moved; and the other is looking at the specific groups that have been
affected, particularly Aboriginal groups, and whether we can put in additional
funding to bring those people back in and to mitigate those problems. That is a
process I have to go through. There have been significant savings because the
total number of enrolments is lower. That has created savings in our budget, so
that is what we are discussing
with Treasury.
Mr R.H. Cook : That
is not a saving.
Dr K.D. HAMES : The
point I make is that the funds are there and have not been spent and are
available —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Right! W e are drowning out the
speaker.
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Those funds are available to spend on looking at how we can tweak the system.
The reality is that this government decided that the level of subsidies was too
high and that a 70 per cent subsidy is a reasonable amount for government to
subsidise for people in training, and we expect that policy to continue.
During the last election, the government decided that the general subsidy for
students going through that training process in a range of levels was at an
unsustainable level—in the order of 80 per cent, and over in some
cases. The general decision was to bring that down to 70 per cent and phase
those changes in over a period of years. That change was put in place last year
and it has had an effect. The number of apprenticeship enrolments is pretty
much the same. Remember we have both enrolment numbers and curriculum hours, so
the combination of those is pretty much the same in apprenticeships. Diploma
enrolment levels are, again, pretty much steady. Enrolment in specialised areas—high-profile
jobs that are in demand in the state—are also steady. However, general
industry courses have experienced a significant decrease in enrolment in the
order of 20 per cent. Some of those are specific to Aboriginal communities.
That level of reduction is not acceptable, so my department is working with
Treasury on how we can modify that effect and maintain enrolments in the
system. I do not think anyone would find it reasonable if in retirement I
decided that I wanted to do a photography course because I like photography,
and the government subsidised 80 per cent of the cost of that course. But on
the other hand, Aboriginal people —
Mr F.M. Logan : It
was not 80 per cent for those types of courses.
Dr K.D. HAMES : It
used to be 90 per cent.
Mr F.M. Logan : Not
for those types of courses.
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Whatever. It was significantly subsidised by the government, and that level of
subsidy is being reduced to 70 per cent. In some cases, Aboriginal people who
have been out of the workforce and want to get back in need to do some of those
low-level courses to get back into work. We are doing two things: one is looking at how many of those in
general industry can be put into the required level of training and seeing what
can be moved; and the other is looking at the specific groups that have been
affected, particularly Aboriginal groups, and whether we can put in additional
funding to bring those people back in and to mitigate those problems. That is a
process I have to go through. There have been significant savings because the
total number of enrolments is lower. That has created savings in our budget, so
that is what we are discussing
with Treasury.
Mr R.H. Cook : That
is not a saving.
Dr K.D. HAMES : The
point I make is that the funds are there and have not been spent and are
available —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Right! W e are drowning out the
speaker.
Dr K.D. HAMES :
Those funds are available to spend on looking at how we can tweak the system.
The reality is that this government decided that the level of subsidies was too
high and that a 70 per cent subsidy is a reasonable amount for government to
subsidise for people in training, and we expect that policy to continue.
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