Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 671 asked in the Legislative Council on 13 March 2018 by Hon Alison Xamon

Question Directed to the: Minister for Education and Training
Parliament: 40 Session: 1


Question

I refer to Tuart College, and I ask:
(a) how many FTE teaching positions will be lost from the department as a result of ceasing local intake at Tuart College;
(b) how many non-teaching staff employed at Tuart College have applied under the Voluntary Targeted Separation Scheme;
(c) how many of these applications have been approved;
(d) have any of the applications from (b) been rejected;
(e) if yes to (d), on what grounds;
(f) how many non-teaching staff employed at Tuart College have applied under the Voluntary Targeted Separation Scheme;
(g) how many of these applications have been approved;
(h) have any of the applications from (f) been rejected;
(i) if yes to (h), on what grounds;
(j) if staff continue in their current positions until the end of 2018, will they receive a severance pay;
(k) of the teaching staff who work until the end of 2018 and receive a severance pay, will they also be redeployed; and
(l) if teaching staff at Tuart College are offered and accept a redundancy, but are asked by the department to remain at Tuart College until the end of the 2018 school year, will they still receive the Voluntary Targeted Separation Scheme 12 week incentive package?

Answered on 10 April 2018

(a)-(l)  

The Voluntary Targeted Separation Scheme (VTSS) is a Budget repair tool to assist agencies in meeting Machinery of Government (MoG) savings resulting from the amalgamation of a number of government departments as well as assist in achieving workforce renewal by enabling agencies to retain 20% of the savings. The VTSS is open to all general government employees, though priority is being given to agencies impacted by the MoG changes (which took effect from 1 July 2017). However in the Department of Education, only staff whose substantive position was not school based were invited to express an interest. Further, a number of employees requiring placement (ERP) have been categorised as suitable to receive a VTSS offer.

Agency targets are Cabinet-in-confidence and were provided as a guide to assist agencies and Ministers with implementation of the scheme. While the reductions will vary between agencies depending on factors like MoG changes, the size and role of individual agencies and other impacts, all agencies are expected to contribute in order to meet the overall reduction target of 3,000 employees.           

Agencies are currently working with the Public Sector Commission to progress the scheme via individual expression of interest (EOI) processes. Progress will be reported to Cabinet during the 2018-19 Budget process and detailed in the 2018-19 Budget Papers.