O'Connor Simon: Industry Training and Apprenticeships Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is subject to correctionO'Connor Simon: Industry Training and Apprenticeships Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 05 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14380. Text is subject to correction.]SIMON O’CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): I am pleased to rise and speak in support of this Industry Training and Apprenticeships Amendment Bill in its first reading. As someone who sits on the Education and Science Committee I am very much looking forward to this bill coming through. I am also very pleased to hear the support from around the House at some points in time particularly from Opposition members. We were not sure by their words that they were in support but they do indeed tell us that they are.One thing we have heard this evening particularly from the Opposition is this whole discussion of “Where are the jobs? Where are the apprenticeships? We just made it happen in the past.” I think one of the key elements and my colleague Colin King raised it earlier is that to be an apprentice you need the economic opportunities and the jobs there. I can think of my brother and others who have gone through the apprenticeship schemes. A lot of the great learning comes on the job. So there is acertain irony today as the jibes from the Opposition have been pointing out why we did not have apprenticeships or larger numbers in the past. If there are not the jobs it is always hard to correlate it to the apprenticeships. But here we have an economy growing more jobs in the economy and therefore more opportunities in the apprenticeship space. I was saying that what is ironic is that we have just had before this bill discussion around the New Zealand International Convention Centre a great opportunity to build jobs and to build opportunities if there is no pun in that but also an opportunity of course for people to be apprentices. If you are going to learn trades like carpentry joinery and so on or even be in the hospitality business you need opportunities for jobs.I think one of the key elements underpinning this bill is a Government committed to creating jobs be it the convention centre or be it the work that Minister Bridges is doing around oil and gas exploration. This creates jobs. When you want to talk about apprenticeships—and Labour and the Greens have said: “Yeah it’s a great idea. We support that.”—on the flip side you need to support the industries that create jobs.Another one jumps to mind tonight actually. We heard that the Government has committed $900 million to the World of Wearable Art Awards. That is going to create opportunities and jobs as well. We know that it creates millions of dollars of opportunities where those shows are held. Again these are opportunities for young New Zealanders if they want to get involved in those areas. Think about the hospitality trade-off. There will be a number of young people who will want to work in that area.I think what we need to stress is not only the importance of apprenticeships but also the importance of this Government’s focus on creating jobs and not putting obstacles in the way. To finish I just want to note—Dr David Clark: Unemployment’s up.SIMON O’CONNOR: We have someone yelling out that unemployment is up but actually he should look at the figures and the great work that has been undertaken by this Government to actually take people off unemployment benefits and off sickness benefits and put them into jobs and opportunities. What we know too is that in the decade up to 2010 the Government funding for industry training organisations almost trebled. We have also noted that during the Labour time there was an increase in industry training participation but completion rates and student attainment were low as a number of my colleagues have pointed out in the debate. We are not interested in just the bums on seats approach of the Labour Government. I saw it in the days I worked within the Ministry of Social Development as well. We are here to set high standards focused on real opportunities and real jobs for our young people. We back them. It is not about just talking; it is about actions as well.We are very pleased with the reboot scheme that was announced recently. Young people can achieve up to $1000 followed by—Carol Beaumont: How many young women were given apprenticeships?SIMON O’CONNOR: Someone is yelling out “How many young women?”. That is the Labour Party you see. It wants to force everything—absolutely force everything. Actually I am going to end with this. I am looking forward to David Cunliffe the current leader of the Labour Party announcing the co-leader for the Labour Party the female co-leader because if it is going to follow the logic of its conference then it must be ready to appoint a female co-leader.Hon Judith Collins: It can’t find any.SIMON O’CONNOR: Well yes indeed. The Industry Training and Apprenticeships Amendment Bill—I recommend it to the House.