Edition 45, June 2007

Registered training organisation funding for fast track apprenticeships

RTO fundingAustralian Government funding of $58.5 million has been announced which will assist registered training organisations to work with industry and local employers to develop and implement fast track apprenticeships.

The Fast Track Apprenticeship Program is one of a number of measures aimed at addressing current and impending skill shortages in industry.

The funding will support training providers to take advantage of new flexibilities that have removed time-based restrictions on apprenticeship qualifications. It will contribute to the initial costs of negotiating with employers to make changes to wage structures to reflect the cost of accelerated on and off-the-job training, as well as the redevelopment of training materials.

Employers will be actively involved in course development and in assessing competencies of apprentices throughout the implementation of this initiative. This will ensure their confidence in the competence of the apprentices after a shorter period of time.

In response to a Council of Australian Governments' decision in February 2006, all references to fixed durations in awards have been removed so there are no barriers to prevent early sign off based on competency.

The program will take advantage of the opportunities this flexibility creates to increase the number of qualified tradespeople within a designated industry more quickly.

For more information visit www.dest.gov.au/sectors/training_skills

 

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