❓ Mr. Tallentire asks the Premier how the skills and training review will support the COVID-19 economic recovery. The Premier outlines the review's purpose to align training with industry needs and prevent long-term unemployment, highlighting key sectors and reduced TAFE fees.
AnsweredQoN 391Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
SKILLS TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
391. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Premier:
I
refer to the devastating impact that COVID-19 has had on Western Australia's
workforce. Can the Premier outline to the house how the review being
undertaken into the skills and training needs of our state will support the
work being done by the McGowan government to help the economy recover from
COVID-19?
SKILLS TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
391. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Premier:
I
refer to the devastating impact that COVID-19 has had on Western Australia's
workforce. Can the Premier outline to the house how the review being
undertaken into the skills and training needs of our state will support the
work being done by the McGowan government to help the economy recover from
COVID-19?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for Thornlie for the question. Our workforce has undergone the
biggest shock in living memory. We
have seen thousands of jobs lost, both in Western Australia and across
Australia, and we are seeing that in both large and small businesses
across Western Australia. No doubt, that is heartbreaking for many people.
Whether someone is a business owner or an employee, it is a very difficult
situation across the state. As we recover from the coronavirus pandemic, we
will need to rebuild opportunities for Western Australians and make sure that
we have people trained in the skills that industry and business need. We have
established an urgent review of skills training and workforce development in Western
Australia as a consequence, and the review team will work with Western Australian
industry and business to identify what skills they need and where the training
gaps are, and provide a direct line of advice to government. We want to ensure
that we have a practical and responsive training system that ensures that the
workforce is ready for the COVID-19 recovery period, and prevent long-term unemployment as much as we possibly can. I am
concerned about those people who have lost their jobs, particularly older people, and their opportunity to get back into the workforce. Making sure
our training system is aligned to employment opportunities and helping those
people is very, very important.
This review will be led by the
director general of the Department of Training and Workforce Development, as
well as the managing directors of North and South Metropolitan TAFE. It will be
a short and sharp review, with a report to the State Recovery Controller by 30 June
of this year. It will outline key opportunities, actions to be taken, areas of growth and ways that we can get Western Australians
trained for jobs that will be out there. We already know that the resource sector will need mechanics, engineers
and plant operators, and we already have an emphasis on defence , health
and construction in Western Australia. As I have said, training will be an
important part of our post-COVID recovery. As members know, since coming to
office we have frozen TAFE fees, and late last year we announced that we are
going to halve TAFE fees for around 40 important courses to make training far
more accessible to Western Australians. Training will be an important component
of the recovery from COVID-19. Our training sector is world class but we want
to make sure it is even better and more attuned to the needs of industry in the
new environment we face.
thank the member for Thornlie for the question. Our workforce has undergone the
biggest shock in living memory. We
have seen thousands of jobs lost, both in Western Australia and across
Australia, and we are seeing that in both large and small businesses
across Western Australia. No doubt, that is heartbreaking for many people.
Whether someone is a business owner or an employee, it is a very difficult
situation across the state. As we recover from the coronavirus pandemic, we
will need to rebuild opportunities for Western Australians and make sure that
we have people trained in the skills that industry and business need. We have
established an urgent review of skills training and workforce development in Western
Australia as a consequence, and the review team will work with Western Australian
industry and business to identify what skills they need and where the training
gaps are, and provide a direct line of advice to government. We want to ensure
that we have a practical and responsive training system that ensures that the
workforce is ready for the COVID-19 recovery period, and prevent long-term unemployment as much as we possibly can. I am
concerned about those people who have lost their jobs, particularly older people, and their opportunity to get back into the workforce. Making sure
our training system is aligned to employment opportunities and helping those
people is very, very important.
This review will be led by the
director general of the Department of Training and Workforce Development, as
well as the managing directors of North and South Metropolitan TAFE. It will be
a short and sharp review, with a report to the State Recovery Controller by 30 June
of this year. It will outline key opportunities, actions to be taken, areas of growth and ways that we can get Western Australians
trained for jobs that will be out there. We already know that the resource sector will need mechanics, engineers
and plant operators, and we already have an emphasis on defence , health
and construction in Western Australia. As I have said, training will be an
important part of our post-COVID recovery. As members know, since coming to
office we have frozen TAFE fees, and late last year we announced that we are
going to halve TAFE fees for around 40 important courses to make training far
more accessible to Western Australians. Training will be an important component
of the recovery from COVID-19. Our training sector is world class but we want
to make sure it is even better and more attuned to the needs of industry in the
new environment we face.
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