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Committee's Consideration

The committee has completed it consideration of this Auditor-General’s Report.  The committee tabled its Report No. 39, 56th Parliament - Consideration of Auditor-General Report 1: 2019-20—Investing in vocational education and training and Auditor-General Report 15: 2019-20—Education: 2018-19 results of financial audits on 28 September 2020.

View:  Report

Overview

Role of the Auditor-General

The role of the Auditor-General is to provide Parliament with independent assurance of public sector accountability and performance. This is achieved through reporting to Parliament on the results of its financial and performance audits.

About the Auditor-General Report

View:  Auditor-General Report 1: 2019-20—Investing in vocational education and training  

The audit examined whether the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (the department) is achieving successful learning and employment outcomes through its public and private providers.

 The audit addressed this by assessing whether public investment in vocational education and training (VET) is:

• meeting Queensland’s skilling needs
• achieving student learning and employment outcomes
• cost-effective

The report recommended that the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training:  

• finalises its draft Skills Strategy, ensuring it addresses:
  -  Queensland’s longer-term strategies for developing and sustaining the VET sector
  -  clear roles, responsibilities, and the future purpose of VET public providers
• develops and applies performance measures supporting the expected public value of the State Contribution Grants
• periodically reviews the methodology used to determine the value of State Contribution Grants to public providers to account for changes in the training environment and public providers’ costs
• improves transparency over investment decision-making by clearly documenting information, data, and analysis used in developing and reviewing the annual investment plan and subsidy lists
• increases the effectiveness of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program by:
  - improving the grant process with the aim of reducing the time frame between the funding round opening and the announcement of the successful applicants—to help grant recipients better plan resources and service delivery
  - requiring community-based organisations to provide evidence with their application that they have agreed on training delivery expectations with the selected pre-qualified supplier
• improves the efficiency and quality of the pre-qualified supplier contract-renewal process by:
  - renewing the contracts at least one month before the new financial year start date to help suppliers better plan resources and training delivery
  - extending the time frames of contracts for low-risk suppliers

The report also recommended that TAFE Queensland, in consultation with the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training:

• finalises specific and measurable strategies and plans to improve the financial sustainability of its training delivery, including:
  - strategies for increasing its student revenue and market share
  - workforce management plans that support program delivery outcomes and financial sustainability.

Referral to Committee

Standing Order 194B provides that the Committee of the Legislative Assembly shall as soon as practicable after a report of the Auditor-General is tabled in the Assembly refer that report to the relevant portfolio committee(s) for consideration. 

The committee is responsible under section 94 of the Parliament of Queensland Act 2001 for assessing the integrity, economy, efficiency and effectiveness of government financial management by examining government financial documents and considering reports of the Auditor-General.

The Committee of the Legislative Assembly referred this Auditor-General’s report to the committee on 22 August 2019.

Related information

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