Beaumont Carol: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBeaumont Carol: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 19 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13551. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.CAROL BEAUMONT (Labour) to theMinister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment: Is he concerned about theunderrepresentation of women in industry training particularly in light of labour shortages in many trades and technical areas?Hon TONY RYALL (Acting Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment): It would be good to see more women involved in industry training. In fact the number is trending up. In 2012 women made up 31.4 percent of industry trainees. Although more men than women are involved in industry training the reverse is true at higher levels of tertiary study. The proportion of the adult population holding a Bachelor’s degree or higher qualification is higher for women than for men. In 2012 more women than men were enrolled in Bachelor’s degrees Honours degrees Master’s degrees and doctorates.Carol Beaumont: What efforts has he made to increase the proportion of women in industry training and given that in 2009 it was 30.8 percent and in 2013 it had dropped to 28.1 percent does he consider those efforts to have been successful?Hon TONY RYALL: I am unable to confirm that last number the member gave but I do know that the Minister has been working closely with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Minister of Women’s Affairs who have been undertaking a number of actions in order to expand the interest that women have in industry training.Carol Beaumont: Given that women make up over 50 percent of the population how does the under-representation of women in industry training assist in achieving the Better Public Services result area No. 6 of increasing the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds with advanced trade qualifications or supporting the rebuild of Christchurch or achieving the Government’s Business Growth Agenda of delivering vocational education and training that lifts skills?Hon TONY RYALL: Well of course that level of participation does not help those Better Public Services goals because we would want to have more participation from women in the trades. That is why the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been undertaking a number of projects in this area towards assisting improving those levels of participation.Dr Megan Woods: Given that he received Treasury advice that women would be disproportionately affected by Budget 2013 cuts to student allowance eligibility for those aged over 40 is he concerned that his policies will shut women aged over 40 out of tertiary education and training opportunities?Hon TONY RYALL: I am not in a position to be able to comment directly on the suggestions the member has made but what I can say is that the Government has been working assiduously in order to ensure that there is strong investment in this area and that we are delivering results with increased participation and interest from New Zealanders.Dr Megan Woods: I seek leave to table the Treasury advice to the Minister for Tertiary Education—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I presume that it is Treasury advice that it is available to all members.Dr Megan Woods: Well I am not sure that—Mr SPEAKER: Order! It is freely available. It is on the website. It is available.