ANSWER:

I thank the Member for his question.

The Bligh Government is committed to creating and supporting Queensland jobs.

We're doing this by continuing to invest in training and ensuring students have the skills and knowledge they need to enter the workforce.

In 2008/09, the department worked with industry in the Cairns region to support the training on 2,274 apprentices and 1,342 trainees. Over 65% of apprentices were training in the construction, engineering and utilities industries. Most of the trainee-ships (59%) were being conducted int he business, retail and hospitality industry areas.

In the 2008/09 financial year, the department also provided 24,492 student places through TAFES's. Statutory Training Authorities and Private Providers for Cairns residents. 13,543 or 55% of these places were at the Certificate 111 and above levels. This training is distributed among the range of primary, secondary and service industry areas, providing skills that are in demand in the local economy.

The Department of Education and Training is working with the Australian Marine Industry Training Network Cairns (AMTNC) to establish the Great Barrier Reef International marine College. The marine industry will have direct input into the quality of training and skilling to be provided by the college. Exiting students will be eligible for direct employment in a range of local and international marine industries. Industry and other registered training organisations will also be able to deliver courses there on a fee for service basis.

Smithfield State High School is a Gateway School in manufacturing and is engaging directly with Cairns local manufacturing and engineering enterprises, registered training organisations and universities to raise the profile of careers in manufacturing and engineering.

We have also invested over $580,000 in school based apprenticeships and trainee-ship training in the Cairns region in 2008/09. More than $8.2m in User Choice funds was invested in 2007/08 and more that $9m in 2008/09 (a 10.3% increase) in training and assessment services to apprentices and trainees int he Cairns region.

In 2008/09 the group training organisation, Skills 260 received funding of $751,000 to support apprentice and trainee employment outcomes under the Joint Group Training Program. in 2008/010 we are increasing that funding to $960,000 to support apprentice and trainee employment outcomes during this period of market volatility. This will allow this group training organisation to better respond to prevailing market place conditions and maintain their ongoing financial viability to support skills growth int he Cairns region when economic conditions improve.

The department is also funding the Atherton Tablelands Skills Formation Strategy which addresses workforce planning and development issues in a variety of industries in the region.

The strategies leaders' group is addressing critical issues impacting on the workforce in local industries, such as the exodus of young people, an ageing workforce and skills shortages in sectors like aged care, childcare and community services, agricultural and horticulture industries, professional and semi-professional jobs and trades.

From 1 October 2009, 445 productivity Places Program (PPP) training places have been allocated for job seekers and existing workers in the Cairns region.

This investment of around $1.6million will provide training in areas including retail and personal services, tourism and hospitality, business and property services, information technology, automotive, health and community services and primary industries.

PPP is also funding over 40 job seeker places in Cairns and Innisfail in aged care and childrn's services. This will include the delivery of certificate 111 qualifications to parents and carers and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to help them secure jobs int he local child care industry.