❓ The Premier addresses concerns about skills shortages in the WA building and construction industry by highlighting recent changes to the apprenticeship system, allowing faster completion times without compromising quality. He acknowledges the contributions of various ministers and industry figures.
AnsweredQoN 42Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY - SKILLS SHORTAGE
We are aware of the delays being experienced in capital works projects in Western Australia by the private and public sectors. Can the Premier advise the house what the government is doing to address the skills shortage in Western Australia so that we can keep on building our state? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
We are aware of the delays being experienced in capital works projects in Western Australia by the private and public sectors. Can the Premier advise the house what the government is doing to address the skills shortage in Western Australia so that we can keep on building our state? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Swan Hills for the question and point out to the Parliament, in case it has escaped its attention, that she is an excellent member and a great advocate for her electorate. As the Minister for Small Business and Minister Assisting the Minister for Education and Training told the house, last week we announced very significant changes - certainly the most significant changes that I can remember anyway - in the apprenticeship system. The changes were based on recommendations of the Residential Building Industry Working Group chaired by Dale Alcock and part of the government’s Skills Formation Taskforce. I am very grateful that Mr Alcock made himself available on the day to support the changes that we announced. It is a very important change for his industry and the Western Australian community in general. From May 2006, people starting apprenticeships in five key building and construction industry areas will be able to complete their qualifications in as little as three years. That puts us in a position where the rest of the nation would like to be but cannot get to. Western Australia was the first state in the nation to reduce the time taken to complete apprenticeships in this way. There are two-year apprenticeships for residential housing trades, residential bricklaying, residential carpentry, residential joinery, residential plastering, residential wall and ceiling fixing and residential wall and floor tiling. Three-year apprenticeships will be available for bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, wall and ceiling fixing, plastering and tile laying. Apprentices can complete their trades more quickly because of the competency-based nature of the assessments; however, I emphasise that there will be no compromise on quality. I do not think people like Dale Alcock would lend their names and their companies’ support to this sort of initiative if they thought it would mean reduced quality. As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Swan Hills for the question and point out to the Parliament, in case it has escaped its attention, that she is an excellent member and a great advocate for her electorate. As the Minister for Small Business and Minister Assisting the Minister for Education and Training told the house, last week we announced very significant changes - certainly the most significant changes that I can remember anyway - in the apprenticeship system. The changes were based on recommendations of the Residential Building Industry Working Group chaired by Dale Alcock and part of the government’s Skills Formation Taskforce. I am very grateful that Mr Alcock made himself available on the day to support the changes that we announced. It is a very important change for his industry and the Western Australian community in general. From May 2006, people starting apprenticeships in five key building and construction industry areas will be able to complete their qualifications in as little as three years. That puts us in a position where the rest of the nation would like to be but cannot get to. Western Australia was the first state in the nation to reduce the time taken to complete apprenticeships in this way. There are two-year apprenticeships for residential housing trades, residential bricklaying, residential carpentry, residential joinery, residential plastering, residential wall and ceiling fixing and residential wall and floor tiling. Three-year apprenticeships will be available for bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, wall and ceiling fixing, plastering and tile laying. Apprentices can complete their trades more quickly because of the competency-based nature of the assessments; however, I emphasise that there will be no compromise on quality. I do not think people like Dale Alcock would lend their names and their companies’ support to this sort of initiative if they thought it would mean reduced quality. As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
I thank the member for Swan Hills for the question and point out to the Parliament, in case it has escaped its attention, that she is an excellent member and a great advocate for her electorate. As the Minister for Small Business and Minister Assisting the Minister for Education and Training told the house, last week we announced very significant changes - certainly the most significant changes that I can remember anyway - in the apprenticeship system. The changes were based on recommendations of the Residential Building Industry Working Group chaired by Dale Alcock and part of the government’s Skills Formation Taskforce. I am very grateful that Mr Alcock made himself available on the day to support the changes that we announced. It is a very important change for his industry and the Western Australian community in general. From May 2006, people starting apprenticeships in five key building and construction industry areas will be able to complete their qualifications in as little as three years. That puts us in a position where the rest of the nation would like to be but cannot get to. Western Australia was the first state in the nation to reduce the time taken to complete apprenticeships in this way. There are two-year apprenticeships for residential housing trades, residential bricklaying, residential carpentry, residential joinery, residential plastering, residential wall and ceiling fixing and residential wall and floor tiling. Three-year apprenticeships will be available for bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, wall and ceiling fixing, plastering and tile laying. Apprentices can complete their trades more quickly because of the competency-based nature of the assessments; however, I emphasise that there will be no compromise on quality. I do not think people like Dale Alcock would lend their names and their companies’ support to this sort of initiative if they thought it would mean reduced quality. As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
As the Minister for Small Business and Minister Assisting the Minister for Education and Training told the house, last week we announced very significant changes - certainly the most significant changes that I can remember anyway - in the apprenticeship system. The changes were based on recommendations of the Residential Building Industry Working Group chaired by Dale Alcock and part of the government’s Skills Formation Taskforce. I am very grateful that Mr Alcock made himself available on the day to support the changes that we announced. It is a very important change for his industry and the Western Australian community in general. From May 2006, people starting apprenticeships in five key building and construction industry areas will be able to complete their qualifications in as little as three years. That puts us in a position where the rest of the nation would like to be but cannot get to. Western Australia was the first state in the nation to reduce the time taken to complete apprenticeships in this way. There are two-year apprenticeships for residential housing trades, residential bricklaying, residential carpentry, residential joinery, residential plastering, residential wall and ceiling fixing and residential wall and floor tiling. Three-year apprenticeships will be available for bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, wall and ceiling fixing, plastering and tile laying. Apprentices can complete their trades more quickly because of the competency-based nature of the assessments; however, I emphasise that there will be no compromise on quality. I do not think people like Dale Alcock would lend their names and their companies’ support to this sort of initiative if they thought it would mean reduced quality. As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
From May 2006, people starting apprenticeships in five key building and construction industry areas will be able to complete their qualifications in as little as three years. That puts us in a position where the rest of the nation would like to be but cannot get to. Western Australia was the first state in the nation to reduce the time taken to complete apprenticeships in this way. There are two-year apprenticeships for residential housing trades, residential bricklaying, residential carpentry, residential joinery, residential plastering, residential wall and ceiling fixing and residential wall and floor tiling. Three-year apprenticeships will be available for bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, wall and ceiling fixing, plastering and tile laying. Apprentices can complete their trades more quickly because of the competency-based nature of the assessments; however, I emphasise that there will be no compromise on quality. I do not think people like Dale Alcock would lend their names and their companies’ support to this sort of initiative if they thought it would mean reduced quality. As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Swan Hills for the question and point out to the Parliament, in case it has escaped its attention, that she is an excellent member and a great advocate for her electorate. As the Minister for Small Business and Minister Assisting the Minister for Education and Training told the house, last week we announced very significant changes - certainly the most significant changes that I can remember anyway - in the apprenticeship system. The changes were based on recommendations of the Residential Building Industry Working Group chaired by Dale Alcock and part of the government’s Skills Formation Taskforce. I am very grateful that Mr Alcock made himself available on the day to support the changes that we announced. It is a very important change for his industry and the Western Australian community in general. From May 2006, people starting apprenticeships in five key building and construction industry areas will be able to complete their qualifications in as little as three years. That puts us in a position where the rest of the nation would like to be but cannot get to. Western Australia was the first state in the nation to reduce the time taken to complete apprenticeships in this way. There are two-year apprenticeships for residential housing trades, residential bricklaying, residential carpentry, residential joinery, residential plastering, residential wall and ceiling fixing and residential wall and floor tiling. Three-year apprenticeships will be available for bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, wall and ceiling fixing, plastering and tile laying. Apprentices can complete their trades more quickly because of the competency-based nature of the assessments; however, I emphasise that there will be no compromise on quality. I do not think people like Dale Alcock would lend their names and their companies’ support to this sort of initiative if they thought it would mean reduced quality. As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
I thank the member for Swan Hills for the question and point out to the Parliament, in case it has escaped its attention, that she is an excellent member and a great advocate for her electorate. As the Minister for Small Business and Minister Assisting the Minister for Education and Training told the house, last week we announced very significant changes - certainly the most significant changes that I can remember anyway - in the apprenticeship system. The changes were based on recommendations of the Residential Building Industry Working Group chaired by Dale Alcock and part of the government’s Skills Formation Taskforce. I am very grateful that Mr Alcock made himself available on the day to support the changes that we announced. It is a very important change for his industry and the Western Australian community in general. From May 2006, people starting apprenticeships in five key building and construction industry areas will be able to complete their qualifications in as little as three years. That puts us in a position where the rest of the nation would like to be but cannot get to. Western Australia was the first state in the nation to reduce the time taken to complete apprenticeships in this way. There are two-year apprenticeships for residential housing trades, residential bricklaying, residential carpentry, residential joinery, residential plastering, residential wall and ceiling fixing and residential wall and floor tiling. Three-year apprenticeships will be available for bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, wall and ceiling fixing, plastering and tile laying. Apprentices can complete their trades more quickly because of the competency-based nature of the assessments; however, I emphasise that there will be no compromise on quality. I do not think people like Dale Alcock would lend their names and their companies’ support to this sort of initiative if they thought it would mean reduced quality. As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
As the Minister for Small Business and Minister Assisting the Minister for Education and Training told the house, last week we announced very significant changes - certainly the most significant changes that I can remember anyway - in the apprenticeship system. The changes were based on recommendations of the Residential Building Industry Working Group chaired by Dale Alcock and part of the government’s Skills Formation Taskforce. I am very grateful that Mr Alcock made himself available on the day to support the changes that we announced. It is a very important change for his industry and the Western Australian community in general. From May 2006, people starting apprenticeships in five key building and construction industry areas will be able to complete their qualifications in as little as three years. That puts us in a position where the rest of the nation would like to be but cannot get to. Western Australia was the first state in the nation to reduce the time taken to complete apprenticeships in this way. There are two-year apprenticeships for residential housing trades, residential bricklaying, residential carpentry, residential joinery, residential plastering, residential wall and ceiling fixing and residential wall and floor tiling. Three-year apprenticeships will be available for bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, wall and ceiling fixing, plastering and tile laying. Apprentices can complete their trades more quickly because of the competency-based nature of the assessments; however, I emphasise that there will be no compromise on quality. I do not think people like Dale Alcock would lend their names and their companies’ support to this sort of initiative if they thought it would mean reduced quality. As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
From May 2006, people starting apprenticeships in five key building and construction industry areas will be able to complete their qualifications in as little as three years. That puts us in a position where the rest of the nation would like to be but cannot get to. Western Australia was the first state in the nation to reduce the time taken to complete apprenticeships in this way. There are two-year apprenticeships for residential housing trades, residential bricklaying, residential carpentry, residential joinery, residential plastering, residential wall and ceiling fixing and residential wall and floor tiling. Three-year apprenticeships will be available for bricklaying, carpentry, joinery, wall and ceiling fixing, plastering and tile laying. Apprentices can complete their trades more quickly because of the competency-based nature of the assessments; however, I emphasise that there will be no compromise on quality. I do not think people like Dale Alcock would lend their names and their companies’ support to this sort of initiative if they thought it would mean reduced quality. As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
As I said in answer to the previous question, at the moment Western Australia is enjoying good economic times. There is a big demand for additional housing construction work generally. We needed to respond. We have attracted more people into apprenticeships and traineeships and this move will attract even more. There has been a 60 per cent growth in the last four or five years, which is twice the national average. This will allow the industry to become more efficient and more responsive to the community’s demands. I thoroughly congratulate the Minister for Education and Training, Hon Ljiljanna Ravlich, who is in the other place, for getting good, strong, unified support from across the industry for this measure. I also acknowledge the tremendous amount of work that the Minister for Small Business put into this initiative. I am certain that without the efforts of these two people and their dedication to change, this would not have happened and Western Australia is and will be better for it.
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