Mr Martin Ferguson asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 13 February 2002:

(1) How many apprentices or trainees have been employed in each employment category by:

(a) his Department;

(b) Airservices Australia;

(c) the Civil Aviation Safety Authority; and

(d) the Australian Maritime Safety Authority for each of the past seven years.

(2) Have any staff been appointed under any graduate entry programmes, if so how many.

(3) Have any targeted recruitment campaigns been conducted, if so, when and what was the aim of those campaigns.

(4) What sum has been spent on external recruitment agencies for recruitment to each employment category.

Mr Anderson (Minister for Transport and Regional Services) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

The Department of Transport and Regional Services has advised the following:

(1) During the past seven years:

(a) the Department employed seven Public Administrative Trainee Officers in 1995.

(b) Airservices Australia has employed the following trainees and apprentices:

(c) The Civil Aviation Safety Authorityhas not employed any apprentices or trainees over the past seven years.

(d) The Australian Maritime Safety Authorityhas not employed any apprentices or trainees over the past seven years.

(2) Over the same seven year period the Department has appointed 156 officers under the Graduate Programme as follows:

Airservices Australia has also employed six staff under graduate employment programmes over this period.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has not appointed graduates under any graduate employment programme.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has not appointed staff under a graduate entry programme over the last seven years.

(3) The Department has conducted targeted recruitment campaigns continuously since 1995. The aim of the recruitment campaigns has been to attract talented and innovative individuals to DoTaRS to ensure the Department meets its business objectives, in addition to addressing succession-planning issues within the Department and the APS.

Airservices Australia has conducted targeted recruitment campaigns for Air Traffic Control Trainees 1996. The aim of these recruitment campaigns has been to attract individuals to train as Air Traffic Controllers under the new Australian Advanced Air Traffic System (AAATS).

Airservices Australia has also conducted two additional targeted recruitment campaigns to attract base level clerical support, and to provide individuals with the opportunity to develop specific skills. No other targeted recruitment campaigns have taken place over the period.

The Civil Aviation Safety Australiahas not conducted any targeted recruitment campaigns over this period.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has not conducted any targeted recruitment campaigns over this period.

(4) The Department'srecords indicate that the Department has spent the following amount on external recruitment agencies for recruitment of apprentices/trainees and graduates:

1With the disbanding of Recruitment Services Australia the Department took responsibility for managing graduate recruitment. Recruitment consultants were contracted to undertake graduate recruitment on behalf of the Department, therefore significantly increasing the costs in 2001.

2The current recruitment process is still in progress, the figure above is for the period 1 January to 30 April 2002. This figure is expected to increase to an amount similar to the figure for 2001 above.

Airservices Australia has not spent anything directly on external recruitment agencies as its campaigns were conducted under the Government's Skillshare programme. However, it may have engaged the services of external contractors to provide assistance with selection and assessment phases. The costs of this support are not available.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has not incurred any costs on external recruitment agencies.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority has not incurred any costs on external recruitment agencies.