❓ McGowan questions the Minister about reduced TAFE services in Newman and Tom Price due to mining company pullback, impacting accessibility and forcing students to travel or study online. The Minister acknowledges changes and focuses on retraining and sustainability.
AnsweredQoN 360Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PILBARA INSTITUTE — NEWMAN AND TOM PRICE
CAMPUSES
360. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Training and Workforce Development:
I refer to the Minister for Training
and Workforce Development's answers to questions last week that showed
that there would no longer be staff located full-time at both Newman and Tom
Price TAFEs, along with a reduction in courses available through those
colleges.
(1) Will the
removal of all staff based at these colleges not make further education less
accessible in these regional communities?
(2) Can the
minister confirm that many regional students are now being forced to travel
long distances or to do their training online?
CAMPUSES
360. Mr M. McGOWAN to the Minister for
Training and Workforce Development:
I refer to the Minister for Training
and Workforce Development's answers to questions last week that showed
that there would no longer be staff located full-time at both Newman and Tom
Price TAFEs, along with a reduction in courses available through those
colleges.
(1) Will the
removal of all staff based at these colleges not make further education less
accessible in these regional communities?
(2) Can the
minister confirm that many regional students are now being forced to travel
long distances or to do their training online?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the Leader of the Opposition
for the question.
(1)–(2) It
is true that there has been a significant change in the way that training is
being delivered, particularly through our Pilbara Institute. A lot of that
change is in response to a pullback by a range of the mining companies that
were receiving and contracting their training through the Pilbara Institute
campuses. As a result, Rio Tinto's work readiness programs at the
Roebourne campus ceased without notice early in term 1. Fortescue Metals Group's
work readiness programs will, however, continue through to June 2015. We have
not been given any advice by those mining
companies, either Rio or FMG, with regard to the continuation of those
programs. That is 146 students whom we are keeping a very close eye on and we
are working together with the mining companies to try to ensure that they have
a broader view into the future, while still maintaining a commitment to
partnering with our state training providers to deliver training to the
Roebourne campus. There were 65 students enrolled in safety training courses
during the year at the Newman campus, and that was being delivered on a
commercial basis. Seven students received training at that campus through a
flexible delivery model that was being managed from the Hedland campus. We are
keeping a very close eye on the Pilbara Institute across our various campuses.
We are going to be changing the way that we deliver training. We have to do
that because we need the Pilbara Institute to remain sustainable into the
future and we need to ensure that we can continue to deliver a training
product.
It may well be that some of those
students can be retrained in other areas. As an example, we have areas in
sustainable construction and we know that we still need people to receive
training in electrical trades and a whole range of the science, technology,
engineering and maths areas. We will be looking to those students to try to
match them to a training program that will allow them to receive some credits
for the training that they have already received, and to transition into a
training program that will lead to employment. We will keep a close eye on it.
There is not much we can do if private companies choose to pull out of their
private training arrangements with the state training providers, but what we
can do is do our best to look after those students and ensure that they
continue to receive training in another format, somewhere else in the state.
for the question.
(1)–(2) It
is true that there has been a significant change in the way that training is
being delivered, particularly through our Pilbara Institute. A lot of that
change is in response to a pullback by a range of the mining companies that
were receiving and contracting their training through the Pilbara Institute
campuses. As a result, Rio Tinto's work readiness programs at the
Roebourne campus ceased without notice early in term 1. Fortescue Metals Group's
work readiness programs will, however, continue through to June 2015. We have
not been given any advice by those mining
companies, either Rio or FMG, with regard to the continuation of those
programs. That is 146 students whom we are keeping a very close eye on and we
are working together with the mining companies to try to ensure that they have
a broader view into the future, while still maintaining a commitment to
partnering with our state training providers to deliver training to the
Roebourne campus. There were 65 students enrolled in safety training courses
during the year at the Newman campus, and that was being delivered on a
commercial basis. Seven students received training at that campus through a
flexible delivery model that was being managed from the Hedland campus. We are
keeping a very close eye on the Pilbara Institute across our various campuses.
We are going to be changing the way that we deliver training. We have to do
that because we need the Pilbara Institute to remain sustainable into the
future and we need to ensure that we can continue to deliver a training
product.
It may well be that some of those
students can be retrained in other areas. As an example, we have areas in
sustainable construction and we know that we still need people to receive
training in electrical trades and a whole range of the science, technology,
engineering and maths areas. We will be looking to those students to try to
match them to a training program that will allow them to receive some credits
for the training that they have already received, and to transition into a
training program that will lead to employment. We will keep a close eye on it.
There is not much we can do if private companies choose to pull out of their
private training arrangements with the state training providers, but what we
can do is do our best to look after those students and ensure that they
continue to receive training in another format, somewhere else in the state.
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