The 2011 Federal Budget will see a $3 billion investment in skills training over the next 6 years, says the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations, Senator Chris Evans.
Budget initiatives include:
- a $558 million National Workforce Development Fund;
- a National Partnership with States and Territories worth $1.75 billion over five years (from 2012-13);
- reforming the apprenticeship system to make it modern and flexible including accelerated apprenticeships and mentoring support; and,
- increasing workforce participation by giving disadvantaged Australians the skills they need to get a job.
The National Workforce Development fund will be used to provide additional training places in areas of the most critical emerging skills needs.These new training places will require co-investment from industry.
The Government will set new benchmarks for improved quality, transparency and outcomes from the states and territories as a condition for an agreement on vocational education and training, worth $7 billion over five years. In addition the Government will offer an additional $1.75 billion over five years (from 2012-13) for those jurisdictions that agrre to what the Minister says will be "a more ambitious reform of the performance and quality of their respective public training systems".
In relation to Apprenticeships and Traineeships, the Minister said the Government will invest:
- $100 million over four years to Accelerate Australian Apprenticeships, to support innovative training models that enable apprentices to move more efficiently through their training and advance to the next level of learning and pay, provided quality is met; and
- $101 million over four years for an Apprenticeship Mentoring package, helping individuals to choose the right training pathway and supporting them to complete their training.
The Minister says that the Budget provides further support to improve the numeracy and literacy of unemployed Australians and ensure disadvantaged people who are encouraged to participate in work have the opportunity to develop the skills they need. An additional $263 million investment will include:
- $143 million to expand the Language Literacy and Numeracy Program to assist an additional 30,000 job seekers gain the foundation skills necessary to participate in training and employment;
- $80 million for job-related training through states and territories for more than 30,000 sole parents seeking to return to work;
- $19.7 million for the Australian Apprenticeship Access Program to help more than 5,000 vulnerable job seekers develop the skills needed to succeed in an apprenticeship; and,
- $20 million in additional investment for the Workplace English Language and Literacy program to assist a further 13,000 people currently in the workforce who have low levels of language, literacy and numeracy skills.
Links:
Media Release from the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations