Apprentices suffer as Howard closes DETNAC - Tebbutt

This is the media release issued by NSW Minister for Education & Training Carmel Tebbutt.

Thousands of NSW apprentices and employers will be hurt by the Federal Government's cancellation of the Department of Education and Training's New Apprenticeships Centre (DETNAC) contract from 30 June 2006.

The NSW Minister for Education and Training, Carmel Tebbutt, today supported employers across the State as they called on the Commonwealth to reconsider a decision that will cost NSW jobs and end years of productive work in building employment skills.

"For eight years DETNAC has helped build the NSW economy with its high-quality support to apprentices, trainees and employers," Ms Tebbutt said.

"Last December, the Commonwealth Government's own assessment system gave DETNAC a 98% quality service rating and a 93% satisfaction rating among apprentices and employers that had used its services.

"It is unbelievable that the Federal Government will cut a service which, by its own rating system - is ranked higher than the national average for similar agencies."

Ms Tebbutt said organisations such as Group Training NSW and many individual employers had already written to the Commonwealth Government seeking to overturn the decision to cut DETNAC's contract.

"We've received copies of some of these letters, no doubt many more are waiting a response in the office of the Minister for Vocational Education and Training, Gary Hardgrave MP," she said.

"None of these employers can believe that the Commonwealth would deliberately drop such a successful contractor and force so many businesses to start from scratch this year.

"The lack of information from Mr Hardgrave's office has added to the concerns from NSW businesses - his media release had a list of successful contractors but no indication of where they will operate. It's just a mess!"

The DETNAC in NSW helps:

• -- more than 100 000 apprentices and trainees
  

• -- more than 37 000 employers' recruitment needs

DETNAC is Australia's largest provider of apprenticeship and traineeship services, and the most effective service provider in the country.

"This decision makes no sense," Ms Tebbutt said.

"I call on Mr Howard to reconsider before DETNAC staff lose their jobs and NSW employers lose the best training support service in Australia.

"The situation is even worse because three years ago the Howard Government asked DETNAC to increase its client base from 25 per cent of the NSW market to 43.5 per cent - this means almost half of NSW employers will be affected by this short-sighted decision.

"The Howard Government's commitment in February to all the State Governments to address skilled labour shortages is undermined by the decision to close DETNAC: the decision must be reviewed."