❓ The Premier addresses the government's efforts to create jobs, deliver record employment, and ensure Western Australians have the skills to meet business and industry demands, highlighting low unemployment rates and TAFE fee reductions.
AnsweredQoN 593Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
JOBS — TRAINING
593. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the member for Willagee, I acknowledge the students and teachers from Blue Gum
Montessori School in the public gallery.
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment
to creating more jobs for Western Australians and delivering the strongest
economy in the country. Will the Premier update the house on the work
undertaken by this government to not only create jobs and deliver record
employment, but also ensure that Western Australians have the skills necessary
to meet the demands of business and industry?
593. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Premier:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
of the member for Willagee, I acknowledge the students and teachers from Blue Gum
Montessori School in the public gallery.
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment
to creating more jobs for Western Australians and delivering the strongest
economy in the country. Will the Premier update the house on the work
undertaken by this government to not only create jobs and deliver record
employment, but also ensure that Western Australians have the skills necessary
to meet the demands of business and industry?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank member for Belmont for the
question. Today the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the jobs figures
for September. I urge every eastern states commentator who regularly attacks Western
Australia to take note: Western Australia is
not locked up. We are a free community—a free society. Our economy is
not struggling. We are not holding back the nation. We are supporting the
nation. We are driving the nation. We are producing the revenue and income that
is being poured into the COVID-19-positive states of New South Wales and
Victoria. Today's figures show that Western Australia continues to lead
the country through our investment in economic recovery and by protecting
the state from COVID-19. We have delivered the strongest jobs market of
anywhere in Australia.
Today's jobs figures show
that the unemployment rate in Western Australia is now down to 4.1 per cent.
That is the lowest unemployment rate in Australia. It is the lowest rate in
nearly 10 years. We now have 1.427 million Western Australians in work. In
September, 3 580 new jobs were created. Since the WA Labor government came to office we have created 123 100 new jobs. That
is a record that is better than any other state in Australia and I expect
better than any other government in Western Australian history. But what it
does mean, of course, is that there are pressures out there in the labour
market. That is why we held the WA skills summit in late July. We are
responding to the issues raised at the
summit. This week we announced more low-fee courses at TAFE colleges,
particularly in child care, aged and disability care, and the civil
construction sector so that we can get more people into those areas.
I was at a childcare centre in the
member for Mirrabooka's electorate the other day and the childcare
workers are great people. The cost of a diploma in early childhood education
and care has been reduced by $7 200 from nearly $10 000 to around $2 000.
Obviously, the previous government increased the cost of that course to over
$10 000. That is a very important reform we
are putting in place. Under the last Liberal–National government TAFE
fees went up in many courses by more than 500 per cent. We froze fees
when we came to office and we have reduced fees for 180 high priority courses
by up to, and more than for some, 72 per cent across the state. A certificate
IV in hospitality has been reduced by $3 000; a certificate IV in transport and
logistics has been reduced by $1 500; and a diploma of surveying has been
reduced by over $3 500. A range of others have been reduced.
The government is ensuring that we
have the strongest economy and strongest jobs market in Australia, training Western
Australians for these jobs more than ever before by making TAFE more affordable
and more available for ordinary citizens.
question. Today the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the jobs figures
for September. I urge every eastern states commentator who regularly attacks Western
Australia to take note: Western Australia is
not locked up. We are a free community—a free society. Our economy is
not struggling. We are not holding back the nation. We are supporting the
nation. We are driving the nation. We are producing the revenue and income that
is being poured into the COVID-19-positive states of New South Wales and
Victoria. Today's figures show that Western Australia continues to lead
the country through our investment in economic recovery and by protecting
the state from COVID-19. We have delivered the strongest jobs market of
anywhere in Australia.
Today's jobs figures show
that the unemployment rate in Western Australia is now down to 4.1 per cent.
That is the lowest unemployment rate in Australia. It is the lowest rate in
nearly 10 years. We now have 1.427 million Western Australians in work. In
September, 3 580 new jobs were created. Since the WA Labor government came to office we have created 123 100 new jobs. That
is a record that is better than any other state in Australia and I expect
better than any other government in Western Australian history. But what it
does mean, of course, is that there are pressures out there in the labour
market. That is why we held the WA skills summit in late July. We are
responding to the issues raised at the
summit. This week we announced more low-fee courses at TAFE colleges,
particularly in child care, aged and disability care, and the civil
construction sector so that we can get more people into those areas.
I was at a childcare centre in the
member for Mirrabooka's electorate the other day and the childcare
workers are great people. The cost of a diploma in early childhood education
and care has been reduced by $7 200 from nearly $10 000 to around $2 000.
Obviously, the previous government increased the cost of that course to over
$10 000. That is a very important reform we
are putting in place. Under the last Liberal–National government TAFE
fees went up in many courses by more than 500 per cent. We froze fees
when we came to office and we have reduced fees for 180 high priority courses
by up to, and more than for some, 72 per cent across the state. A certificate
IV in hospitality has been reduced by $3 000; a certificate IV in transport and
logistics has been reduced by $1 500; and a diploma of surveying has been
reduced by over $3 500. A range of others have been reduced.
The government is ensuring that we
have the strongest economy and strongest jobs market in Australia, training Western
Australians for these jobs more than ever before by making TAFE more affordable
and more available for ordinary citizens.
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