Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 15 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6703. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
1. 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment 
: How many Modern Apprenticeships were being undertaken as at December 2011 and what percentage increase or decrease is this compared with December 2008? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister) 
 on behalf of the Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment: In December 2011 10434 people were enrolled in the Modern Apprenticeships programme. This represents a 14 percent decrease from December 2008. However enrolments in full-time tertiary education are up and that is what you would expect in a recession when there are fewer jobs. In addition to that there are 10000 in Youth Guarantee and trades academies. Young New Zealanders have more choices for pathways to skills than they have ever had. 
Grant Robertson 
: Is it correct that the number of Modern Apprentices peaked at 12933 in June 2009 and that it has now fallen to 10434—a drop of 19.3 percent in the number of Modern Apprentices under this Government? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: That question shows the problems that bedevilled— 
Hon Members 
: Answer the question. 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The way that question was asked about those numbers illustrates the problem with the system we inherited. The number of Modern Apprentices might have dropped but the number getting qualifications has gone up. In fact— 
Grant Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was a very specific question. It asked whether that statement was correct. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I did not actually hear the Minister answer it. He got straight into how the question demonstrated—but I think if the Minister could answer it and then he can put it in context. 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I agree with the numbers about how many people are enrolled but in fact the number getting a qualification has gone up. To illustrate the scale of the mess that we inherited in 2008 96000 registered trainees did not get a single credit—96000 of them. Completion rates have gone up from 35 percent to 71 percent. Twice the proportion are achieving qualifications even if there are a few less in the scheme. 
Grant Robertson 
: How is it contributing to meeting the skill and training needs of New Zealand to have 2500 fewer young New Zealanders undertaking apprenticeships now than 3 years ago? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Because the skills and training needs of young New Zealanders are much broader than Labour’s branding exercise with Modern Apprenticeships. It was 10 percent of all trade training. The number of people getting trades and skills qualifications has gone up not down despite a recession and there are more pathways for younger people—better organised and better funded—than there ever were in the past. It has been a major step forward under this Government cleaning up the shambles that Labour left behind. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I think that is sufficient. 
Grant Robertson 
: Does he think it is the Government’s role to provide opportunities for young New Zealanders to take on training; if so why is he walking away from apprenticeship schemes when youth unemployment is over 20 percent? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The member is wrong. What—[ 
Interruption 
] Just let me explain the numbers. There are 10000 Modern Apprenticeships places. There are 235000 tertiary education places. There are over 100000 Training Opportunities Programme places. There are 10000 Youth Guarantee and trades academy places. Labour insists on saying that Modern Apprenticeships which is a fraction of the total training opportunities is the only opportunity. It is time that member did some work and understood— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Grant Robertson 
: Is it correct that since December 2008 there has been a 38 percent reduction in the number of building and construction trainees? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: That may be correct because there has been a lot less building and construction. This member is showing how lazy and ignorant he is on these issues. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I do not think the question justified quite that. 
Dr Megan Woods 
: Why has the Government wasted the opportunity offered by the Canterbury rebuild to upskill young New Zealanders given that the figures show there has been a 43 percent decline in the number of building and construction trainees in Canterbury since it took office? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The member is using specious figures related to the fact that there was an earthquake in Christchurch so there were no construction jobs in Christchurch so you could not train people on the job in Christchurch. On “Planet Labour” not only was there no recession there was no earthquake. 
Grant Robertson 
: I seek leave of the House to table statistics from the Tertiary Education Commission that show a drop in the number of Modern Apprentices since 2009 of 19.3 percent. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Grant Robertson 
: I seek leave of the House to table figures from the Tertiary Education Commission that show a 38 percent drop in the number of building and construction trainees since December 2008. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that—[ 
Interruption 
] Order! This is a point of order. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Grant Robertson 
: I seek the leave of the House to table information from the Tertiary Education Commission that shows a 37 percent drop overall in the number of industry trainees under this Government. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.