Edition 40, November 2006

Funding injection to skill Australians for the future

The Australian Government has announced the Skills for the Future package of training initiatives to build a more highly skilled and responsive workforce to support Australia's long-term economic growth.

The primary focus of the package is raising the skills of Australia's adult workforce. This includes improving the basic literacy and numeracy skills of mature age workers, thereby building their capacity to keep pace with technological advances. It also includes offering financial incentives to help mature age workers to manage the financial impact of undertaking a traditional trade apprenticeship.

The key Skills for the Future initiatives are:

  • work skills vouchers - targeting people aged 25 and over who do not have year 12 or equivalent qualifications or certificate II or higher qualifications and who want to further their education.

    • From 1 January 2007, up to 30,000 vouchers worth up to $3,000 each will be made available annually to assist individuals with the costs of studying year 12 or equivalent courses or vocational certificate II qualifications.

  • support for mid-career apprentices - encouraging mid-career workers (aged 30 and over) to upgrade their skills through an apprenticeship in a trade occupation in high demand.

    • From 1 July 2007, financial support of $7,800 per annum (or $150 a week) will be payable to either employers or apprentices in the first year and $5,200 (or $100 a week) in the second year of an apprenticeship.

  • business skills vouchers for apprentices - assisting apprentices (who have completed 2 years of a traditional apprenticeship) or newly qualified tradespeople in traditional trades to gain additional business skills.

    • From 1 January 2007, vouchers worth up to $500 will be available for apprentices and newly qualified tradespeople to contribute to the costs of undertaking accredited business skills training. Up to 6,300 vouchers will be available annually.

  • incentives for higher technical skills - helping workers upgrade their skills to meet increasing industry demand for high level technical qualifications.

    • From 1 January 2007, the existing Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Programme will be expanded to encourage growth in diploma and advanced diploma qualifications, particularly in engineering.

    The new arrangements will be open to an employer's existing workforce and to workers with prior qualifications. Employers will receive $1,500 for each worker that commences and $2,500 for each worker that completes a diploma or advanced diploma.

  • more engineering places at university - creating more Commonwealth-supported engineering places at universities.

From 1 January 2008, an additional 500 engineering places will be made available. Universities will be able to allocate these to engineering areas most in demand.

For more information phone 133 873 or visit the Skills for the Future website at www.dest.gov.au/skillsforthefuture

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