Radio interview with Vanessa Mills - ABC Kimberley Breakfast

VANESSA MILLS, HOST: TAFE courses will be going the extra mile soon when two new mobile classrooms start operating in the Kimberley. The $2.79 million project will see specialist trailers, like a workshop or classroom on wheels, take TAFE classes to 15 remote Kimberley locations. The Federal Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles, is with me. Good morning, Minister.

ANDREW GILES, MINISTER FOR SKILLS AND TRAINING: Good morning, Vanessa. Great to be chatting with you. 

MILLS: Describe what these mobile units are.

GILES: Well, it’s funny. I was just listening to you chatting with Elliot earlier, talking about his experience travelling from here to New South Wales to pick up on his skills, and it really is the reverse of that. It’s bringing training closer to communities. It’s about making it easier for every Australian to access the skills that they need. So, thinking about how geography has held so many people back from getting skills, including skills that people need in their communities. So, we’re investing in nearly three million in the Kimberley. A little bit more, five million if we include the Pilbara and Eastern Goldfields, so mobile training units can get out and about and people can get valuable skills to contribute to their community, and continue their learning journey.

MILLS: Are they a trailer, a ute, a semi-trailer? What are these units though?

GILES: Not quite a semi-trailer. Utes and trailers we're talking about so people can have the opportunity to develop skills. I'm thinking things like civil construction, Indigenous environmental health as well, working to make sure that people can really not be held back by the tyranny of distance in accessing training.

MILLS: So what do you get for $2.79 million for two of these units for the Kimberley?

GILES: We get the opportunity to train more than 100 people a year in their communities, whether it's in country or in the suburbs of Broome, for example, and the equipment and to fund the training. So it's a partnership with TAFE WA but also local organisations, Djaringo Training here, who I'll be catching up with shortly, to understand exactly how our commitment from the national government will really resonate with what's happening on the ground here. And I guess that's one of the reasons why I've come to Broome today, spend time listening, because while we know that there's a need right across regional Australia for people to get more access to training, understanding how it operates in different parts of the country needs us to actively listen, to come and be on the ground so that we can make sure that our programs are working in every part of this country.

MILLS: Certainly some noble principles there, but at $1.39 million each, what exactly are we getting and does it represent value for money?

GILES: I think it does because what we've seen is that right across this country, people's experiences, cost of living pressures across the economy are being impacted by skills shortages. We know right now that nine in 10 jobs in the economy will require a qualification, and particularly some of the areas like civil construction skills are in real shortage. We also know that not everyone in every community can get to a TAFE campus in a city that will deliver the course they need. And that's particularly important where we know those skills are needed in those communities. And this isn't a standalone initiative. Of course, it builds on other things we've been doing. Free TAFE, which has been a runaway success, particularly in WA, particularly in regional areas, and our support for apprenticeships. So, this is one part of a bigger puzzle, making it easier for Australians in every part of the country to get skills they want to do the jobs we need.

MILLS: But for taxpayers who are seeing $2.79 million for two mobile trailers, what is that value for money? What is in these? Is it Starlink? Is there NBN? What's inside them? They seem very expensive.

GILES: I don't think that's right because what we're going to see across these initiatives, going a bit beyond the Kimberley, is around 250 students a year will get training. So it's about all of the things that enable training to be delivered closer to where people live. So, obviously it’s about supporting the staff –

MILLS: So is that staff included in that fund –

GILES: It's about supporting the vehicles, it's supporting the materials that are required for the training. All of these things are being put together not to have someone come into town or even go to Perth to enable that training to be delivered close to home.

MILLS: Minister, this morning I spoke to a leading Australian manufacturer of mobile trailers. They make classrooms, tiny houses. They make custom workspaces, much like what you're describing these two trailers will do. And they said a fitted-out, custom-built, one with 240 volts, solar, Starlink, a classroom that's 8.5 by 2.5 metres, would only cost $150,000 to $200,000 delivered to Broome. So how's the other $1.19 million being spent?

GILES: On the wages of the trainers, on the materials that are needed to perform the coursework, and particularly you can think in something like construction, where there's obviously a significant materials cost, to make sure that all of the on-costs are met to enable, again, something that traditionally has been done in a fixed location can be delivered right around this part of the country.

MILLS: How will you measure success from these two mobile trailers in the Kimberley?

GILES: Well, what we want to see is an uptake in qualifications here. As I say, beyond the Kimberley, into the Pilbara and the Goldfields region, we're looking at 250-odd people being connected to training a year, so that's going to be the measure of success. And obviously this is something we haven't done before, but it responds to demand because, again, we know that so many jobs, including jobs that are needed in regional Australia, require tertiary qualifications, particularly vocational ones. We're doing everything we can to break down the barriers. A big barrier traditionally has been cost, but cost isn't the only barrier that's stopping people from being able to get qualifications they want. This is another way in which we're trying to open that door of opportunity to people in every corner of the country.

MILLS: It's been good to speak with you this morning. Thanks for making time, Andrew Giles.

GILES: Great to be chatting with you and great to wake up here in Broome.