King Colin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Colin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 04 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13235. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]5.COLIN KING (National—Kaikōura) to theMinister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment: What recent announcements has the Government made about foundation education?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment): This morning I announced a number of changes to foundation education—firstly that the very successful Youth Guarantee scheme will be expanded to 18 and 19-year-olds next year. It is currently available only to 16 and 17-year-olds with limited exceptions. The Youth Guarantee has been very successful in encouraging 16 and 17-year-olds to stay engaged in education and to complete level 1 and 2 qualifications instead of dropping out and going on to a benefit. However there are older teenagers aged 18 and 19 who have already dropped out of school or who otherwise need a chance to get that vital first level 2 qualification. With YouthGuarantee trades academies and the new vocational pathways the Government is confident that every single teenage New Zealander has a fees-free path to a level 2 qualification giving them access to training and skills for employment.Colin King: What announcements has he made regarding training for beneficiaries?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: This morning alongside the Minister for Social Development we announced that from next year the Government will be winding down the Foundation-Focused Training Opportunities programme and replacing it with an expanded range of effective education and training programmes to help beneficiaries and young people get into work. From next year there will be considerably more places at English for speakers of other languages courses more places at intensive literacy and numeracy courses and more money spent on short courses that assist in getting beneficiaries into work and all New Zealanders below the age of 25 will be able to access fees-free level 1 and 2 courses.Colin King: What announcements has he made about foundation education for 20 to 24-year-olds?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: This one is also very significant. Starting from next year all level 1 and 2 foundation education courses will be fees-free for 20 to 24-year-olds. Level 1 and 2 courses deliver core foundational skills required for success in life. They provide students with the skills required for higher-level study training and employment. Most students gain these skills and qualifications in a school setting but too many New Zealanders do not have these skills at age 20 and older. The changes I have announced today mean that anybody under the age of 25 will be able to obtain a level 2 qualification fees-free whether that is at a secondary school through a Youth Guarantee programme or at a tertiary provider such as a private training establishment. This is a very significant commitment to New Zealand’s future.Dr David Clark: What does the Minister say to the most high-risk unemployed people in Dunedin about today’s announcement of the closure of the Foundation-Focused Training Opportunities programme and the withdrawal of around $1 million from trusted Dunedin second-chance education providers such as theKōkiri training centre the Dunedin Training Centre the Salvation Army Approach Community Learning andTokomairiro Training; and will the Minister guarantee that all of the funding withdrawn by the Tertiary Education Commission from Otago and Southland will be reallocated through the Otago and Southland Work and Income offices?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The allocations will be based on demand for positions and as I said to the member at the outset through the earlier questions—if he had listened—actually they will be replaced by a range of other places. For example—Dr David Clark: It’s a very straight question.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: —that is right and I am giving you a very straight answer parrot—2000 to 4000 additional short-duration training skills courses for beneficiaries 1420 additional English for speakers of other languages places 1350 additional intensive literacy and numeracy courses additional fees-free foundation education level 1 and 2 courses for 20 to 24-year-olds and the extension of Youth Guarantee for 18 and 19-year-olds. The Tertiary Education Commission and the Ministry of Social Development will be allocating those in individual regions according to need and demand.Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was a very straight question as to whether he would guarantee that all of the funding—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will resume his seat. It was—[Interruption] I might make a comment on the point of order that he has raised. I think that on this occasion it was not a straightforward question because there were at least two questions in the question that was asked. The Minister addressed that questionsatisfactorily and the Minister has the prerogative of answering either of the supplementary questions if a member asks two in one question. Does the member have a further supplementary question?Dr David Clark: Given that Otago unemployment is at its highest level in 20 years can he guarantee that some of the extra allocation of Youth Guarantee places will be funded in the Otago region?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: A couple of things there—firstly it is important to note that although yesOtago’s unemployment is high it is lower than the national average. It is lower than Auckland’s it is lower than Wellington’s and it is lower thanWaikato’s and therefore the number of places made available will depend on demand in different regions. It is important that we do that so that we do not artificially create a certain number of places in each region and have young people in one region missing out while there are empty places in another region.Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think you will agree Mr Speaker that that was a very straight question as to whether some of the extra allocation of Youth Guarantee places will be funded in the Otago region.Mr SPEAKER: And the Minister responded by saying that the money will be allocated by demand not by region.