House debates

Thursday, 23 October 2014

Questions without Notice

Vocational Education and Training

2:59 pm

Photo of Don RandallDon Randall (Canning, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Assistant Minister for Education. Will the minister outline what the government is doing to help develop the next generation of Australian innovators and job-ready graduates? What has been the reaction of the stakeholders?

3:00 pm

Photo of Sussan LeySussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member for Canning for his question, acknowledging his experience as an educator and his interest in this issue. As part of the government's competitiveness agenda, the Prime Minister announced recently that we would trial P-TECH, an innovative approach to education having regard to the Pathways in Technology Early College High School.

In the US, P-TECH is an approach that involves industry. It allows students to undertake vocational education while at school and supports them to gain a post-school qualification—usually in science, technology, engineering or maths. An Australian pilot is an important step to determine how Australian students can gain the same advantages as P-TECH students do in the US. A great thing about P-TECH is that there is a job opportunity for everyone—no matter whether it is vocational learning or higher education.

There has been a great response to P-TECH. I think it is fair to say it is a fairly new initiative. There has been a great response. President Obama, in his State of the Union address in 2013, described it as a collaboration between New York public schools, the City University of New York and IBM—the industry partner—and said:

We need to give every American student opportunities like this.

And we believe we need to give every Australian student opportunities like this.

It has been supported by the Business Council and, also, by Senator Kim Carr, who was a previous industry spokesperson. In fact, Senator Carr said last week, 'It is important we have good connections with real-world economics. So I support notions of encouraging industry to be more engaged in the education system.'

Unfortunately, not every Labor shadow minister or member shares this view. What does the member for Adelaide say? The member for Adelaide, the current shadow minister, describes this as privatising or outsourcing schools. The member for Adelaide even said that schools 'aren't sweatshops for churning out entry-level workers'.

If you take away the rhetorical flourish in that remark, you have what you always have from Labor—a mindset—

Photo of Bill ShortenBill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | | Hansard source

Nothing like a good sweatshop!

Photo of Mrs Bronwyn BishopMrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition will desist! The minister has the call.

Photo of Sussan LeySussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | | Hansard source

Labor might call this corporatisation but it actually recognises that it is a model where employers have skin in the game. It is not privatisation; it is a partnership. It is not outsourcing; it is collaboration. Member for Adelaide, it is not a sweatshop; it is a pathway. It is a pathway from school to work—the most important pathway of all. (Time expired)