Transcript of Doorstop Interview in Bundaberg
Belinda McNeven,Simon Crean
posted Thursday, 29 July 2010
SIMON CREAN: It’s a pleasure to be with Belinda today in the great city of Bundaberg, it’s good to be back in Bundaberg. I’ve been coming over the years and have always appreciated the importance of this city and this region.
I had the opportunity just earlier today to speak with Growcom, because we are keen to work with them to develop the skills of the horticultural workers in this region, because this is one of the most fertile regions in the country.
We’re also up here today to visit the Bundaberg High School, because we are committed to developing Trade Training Centres. These are centres which will give students in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 the option of getting a qualification that isn’t just recognised for entry to university. It’s entry through the workplace. We work closely with the business community about identifying the sorts of courses and content and qualification that they will recognise when they leave school.
So the students have the option; not just leaving with Year 12 qualification to enter a university, but a Year 12 qualification that entitles them to enter the workforce. We’re also spending money developing the curriculum and in developing work placement positions around the country, so that we’re connecting them with employers and they’re getting practical experience.
We have committed $11.6 million in total to the Bundaberg region, involving some eight schools. All of them will be able to develop these trade training facilities and embrace the curriculum. All of them want to do it. All of them have had approved funding by us.
This funding is put in jeopardy if Tony Abbott wins. Because the Liberals have committed to scrapping the program. So any work not undertaken will not happen if they win the election.
Belinda understands the fundamental importance of giving our young people options. Options through school, making school more relevant. We as a Labor Government are committed to investing in education, because it is a great empowerer of the individual; it is also great for the productivity of the nation, so it returns to the nation as well as the individual.
We want to make sure these centres go ahead; that’s why it’s important Belinda is elected, because a Labor Government will ensure that all of these centres go ahead, and none of them will proceed if Tony Abbott’s elected.
Belinda, you might like to say something about the importance of this in the area -
BELINDA MCNEVEN: Absolutely. I mean, one of things when I’ve been walking around and talking to local people about is the importance of having people job ready. And these Trade Training Centres are about those different options. Not everyone’s going to university; there are people who need to pursue different careers and that’s what these Trade Training Centres are about.
Computers in schools are another thing that looks like being cut if the Labor Government is not re-elected. So education is fundamentally the key to beginning the basis to work life and that’s why it’s so important.
JOURNALIST: What about, I think the local member here said that when this program was first rolled out it was a bit of a schemozzle. Have you got anything to say about that?
SIMON CREAN: A schemozzle? $2.4 billion in commitment from a Labor Government, a Labor Government that has doubled the spending on schools in this country in the three years that we’ve been in. The only people that had education and schools and vocational training in a schemozzle was the previous Liberal Government.
What we don’t want to do is to return to that shemozzle. What we are offering is real opportunity; we’ve got money in the system. We’ve got facilities on the ground and I’ve been visiting a number of them over the course of the last four to five weeks that I’ve had this portfolio...68 will be concluded by this year and that’s only one third of the commitment. We want to make sure that every secondary school in the country has the opportunity to be part of this program, and that opportunity will only exist if a Labor Government is returned.
BELINDA MCNEVEN: Can I just add as well, that’s another example of knocking every good idea that’s put forward, and blocking every decent proposal that’s put forward. We’re yet to hear from the Opposition, while they’re busy talking about cutting Trades Training Centres, cutting computers to schools, what they’re actually going to do. So the local member here is talking about what services will be cut without any proposals for how to get infrastructure into an area that’s been crying out for so long, for representation and for infrastructure.
SIMON CREAN: And if Paul Neville really thinks this program is a shemozzle, why does he turn up to the openings of the facilities that we build with the money that we put in and try and claim credit for them?
JOURNALIST: How many does Bundaberg have at the moment, Trade Training Centres?
BELINDA MCNEVEN: The Trade Training Centre that’s proposed is an $11.6 million investment. The lead school is Bundaberg State High School, there are eight other schools that benefit as well, including Bundy North, ISIS, Kepnock, Bundaberg Special School and also there’s a large component based at the TAFE - Bundaberg TAFE.
JOURNALIST: Can you just explain exactly what it is, what does it do exactly and who benefits?
BELINDA MCNEVEN: Well it’s largely based around what the industry and what the local employers are asking for, so this is about responding to industry and training needs. So some of it might be a training kitchen for example, where people who are studying to do hospitality courses through the TAFE can start to train through a training kitchen.
There are other facilities and they are largely based around local needs and local courses so that they’re responding to the needs of the local people and making sure that we get the services and the training here to make Bundaberg locals job ready.
JOURNALIST: Ok so is that where it links into the agricultural sector, is that why we’re here talking?
BELINDA MCNEVEN: Absolutely, one of the things that was brought up in the meeting that we’ve had here today with Growcom and the Bundaberg Fruit and Veg Group, is the importance of these Training Centres. They’ve been speaking to us about the need to train their industry workers.
So they want people who are trained in horticultural practices so that they can come out and enter that field. Obviously the fruit and vegetable production is really important to the Bundaberg region - $400 million industry currently here in Bundaberg, fabulous for jobs, an industry that really needs support but needs trained people to enter it and that’s partly what these Trade Training Centres are all about.
SIMON CREAN: And we want to encourage that partnership with the local business community so that they’re identifying the sorts of training and skills that they want and the system through the schools is delivering them, ready to take on an apprenticeship or a traineeship. So it’s a partnership, but it requires resources and we’re prepared to commit to those resources but we want to forge the local partnership as well.
Tags: Belinda, Centres, Crean, McNeven, Simon, Trades, Training