❓ Hon. Sue Ellery questions the Minister for Disability Services about low VET participation rates for people with disabilities and inadequate support. The Minister acknowledges the issue and outlines actions taken within the Disability Services Commission, but is less clear on engagement with the Minister for Training and Workforce Development.
AnsweredQoN 133Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING — PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES
133. Hon SUE ELLERY to the Minister for Disability
Services:
(1) Is the
minister aware that Western Australia has the lowest participation rate by
people with disabilities in the vocational education and training sector in
Australia, and that many parents of young people with a disability transitioning
from school to the VET sector are increasingly frustrated at the difficulties
they encounter in getting adequate support for their child?
(2) Has the minister raised these
matters with the Minister for Training and Workforce Development?
(3) Given the
tight labour market and the valuable contribution to the workplace made by many
people with disabilities, what steps have been taken to lift the participation
rate so that the number of people with a disability achieving a VET
qualification can increase?
WITH DISABILITIES
133. Hon SUE ELLERY to the Minister for Disability
Services:
(1) Is the
minister aware that Western Australia has the lowest participation rate by
people with disabilities in the vocational education and training sector in
Australia, and that many parents of young people with a disability transitioning
from school to the VET sector are increasingly frustrated at the difficulties
they encounter in getting adequate support for their child?
(2) Has the minister raised these
matters with the Minister for Training and Workforce Development?
(3) Given the
tight labour market and the valuable contribution to the workplace made by many
people with disabilities, what steps have been taken to lift the participation
rate so that the number of people with a disability achieving a VET
qualification can increase?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(3) I
am aware of this matter; in fact I raised it myself with the Disability
Services Commission, I would say, about six months ago. I indicated to the
Disability Services Commission that not only the participation rate in
employment but also what I considered to be the fairly inadequate response to
Alternatives to Employment and disability employment agencies was an area of
focus that I wanted the commission to become involved in. I actually think that
across the disability sector these are the two areas that I consider to be the
least performing of what is actually a really good performing area generally.
I am not certain that I have
raised these matters specifically with the Minister for Training and Workforce
Development. However, of recent times I have been to some of the training
programs in which people are receiving training under the disability employment
agency sector —
Hon
Sue Ellery : I'm
talking about VET.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Yes .
I again indicated the requirement for that to take on a
bigger role than it does currently in the disability sector. However, I have
actually made it really clear that getting more people with a disability into
employment is probably the primary area of push that I am interested in in the
disability sector at this stage, and it is something that we are hoping will
get even further traction following the budget.
(1)–(3) I
am aware of this matter; in fact I raised it myself with the Disability
Services Commission, I would say, about six months ago. I indicated to the
Disability Services Commission that not only the participation rate in
employment but also what I considered to be the fairly inadequate response to
Alternatives to Employment and disability employment agencies was an area of
focus that I wanted the commission to become involved in. I actually think that
across the disability sector these are the two areas that I consider to be the
least performing of what is actually a really good performing area generally.
I am not certain that I have
raised these matters specifically with the Minister for Training and Workforce
Development. However, of recent times I have been to some of the training
programs in which people are receiving training under the disability employment
agency sector —
Hon
Sue Ellery : I'm
talking about VET.
Hon HELEN MORTON : Yes .
I again indicated the requirement for that to take on a
bigger role than it does currently in the disability sector. However, I have
actually made it really clear that getting more people with a disability into
employment is probably the primary area of push that I am interested in in the
disability sector at this stage, and it is something that we are hoping will
get even further traction following the budget.
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