❓ Mr. Logan questions the Minister about the decline in skilled electrical apprenticeships. The Minister defends the government's policies and blames federal changes for the decline, highlighting initiatives to encourage apprenticeships and traineeships.
AnsweredQoN 620Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT —
APPRENTICESHIPS
620. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the Minister for
Training and Workforce Development:
I have a supplementary question. Exactly what has the minister done
over her term as Minister for Training and Workforce Development to help arrest
this shocking decline in the future of our state's skilled electrical
workforce? From what the minister has said so far, nothing.
APPRENTICESHIPS
620. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the Minister for
Training and Workforce Development:
I have a supplementary question. Exactly what has the minister done
over her term as Minister for Training and Workforce Development to help arrest
this shocking decline in the future of our state's skilled electrical
workforce? From what the minister has said so far, nothing.
AnswerView source ↗
As I said, we have introduced a new policy to replace the Labor Party's
failed Priority Start policy.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member
for Cockburn, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member
for Cockburn, do you want me to call you for the second time? I will. Minister,
a quick answer, through the Chair.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : The policy that this government developed
to encourage employers to take up apprenticeships and traineeships was done in
consultation with industry and has the support of industry and the support of
the agencies that need to monitor that employers are doing the right thing.
Priority Start was a ridiculous policy.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member
for Cockburn, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : The policy that we have put in place ensures that those
contractors who want to take on —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : The policy that we have taken on ensures that those
contractors who wish to take up government contracts need to demonstrate to us
that 11 per cent of their workforce is engaged in apprenticeships and
traineeships.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Collie‑Preston, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
have previously said in this place that we subsidise apprenticeships and
traineeships up to 85 per cent, and, indeed, a lot of apprenticeships are 100 per
cent free to the students. We are engaging with our federal counterparts to
have a look at what can be done to encourage employers to take on apprentices.
When changes were made to the Fair Work Act and employers had to start paying
more for apprentices' wages, when the subsidy to pay for the tools that
apprentices need to do their work was removed, we started to see less interest
in employers taking on apprentices. That has been reflected right across the
country. A number of issues need to be dealt with at a federal level, and I am
dealing with those. We have our Priority Start project, we have our Future Skills,
through which we started to see a 21 per cent increase in the uptake of
apprenticeships and traineeships in priority skills areas, and we have our
government policy with respect to contractors needing to engage in training and
apprenticeships all the time—all year round—not just for
specific government projects. We have the policy initiatives in place. We need
some assistance from the federal government, and we are going to work on that.
failed Priority Start policy.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member
for Cockburn, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member
for Cockburn, do you want me to call you for the second time? I will. Minister,
a quick answer, through the Chair.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : The policy that this government developed
to encourage employers to take up apprenticeships and traineeships was done in
consultation with industry and has the support of industry and the support of
the agencies that need to monitor that employers are doing the right thing.
Priority Start was a ridiculous policy.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member
for Cockburn, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : The policy that we have put in place ensures that those
contractors who want to take on —
Mrs
M.H. Roberts interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Midland, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs
L.M. HARVEY : The policy that we have taken on ensures that those
contractors who wish to take up government contracts need to demonstrate to us
that 11 per cent of their workforce is engaged in apprenticeships and
traineeships.
Mr M.P. Murray interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Collie‑Preston, I call you to order for the second time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
have previously said in this place that we subsidise apprenticeships and
traineeships up to 85 per cent, and, indeed, a lot of apprenticeships are 100 per
cent free to the students. We are engaging with our federal counterparts to
have a look at what can be done to encourage employers to take on apprentices.
When changes were made to the Fair Work Act and employers had to start paying
more for apprentices' wages, when the subsidy to pay for the tools that
apprentices need to do their work was removed, we started to see less interest
in employers taking on apprentices. That has been reflected right across the
country. A number of issues need to be dealt with at a federal level, and I am
dealing with those. We have our Priority Start project, we have our Future Skills,
through which we started to see a 21 per cent increase in the uptake of
apprenticeships and traineeships in priority skills areas, and we have our
government policy with respect to contractors needing to engage in training and
apprenticeships all the time—all year round—not just for
specific government projects. We have the policy initiatives in place. We need
some assistance from the federal government, and we are going to work on that.
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