The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Minister for Education. Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister for Social Inclusion
Deputy Prime Minister
5 November, 2009
Media release
Government partners with industry to provide additional training places
The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard, today announced that the Rudd Government will co-fund up to 11,000 additional training places for small and medium business in a $25 million program designed to address skills shortages as the economy improves.
The Enterprise Based Productivity Places Program (EBPPP) will provide up to 90 per cent of the cost of training from Certificate III to Advanced Diploma level. It is designed to increase the skills of existing workers especially in occupations on the priority occupations list.
The Government’s contribution will depend on the size of the business, with organisations with less than 100 employees receiving 90 per cent of their training costs, those with between 100 and 199 receiving 75 percent, and those with 200 or more employees receiving 50 per cent of their training costs.
The program which is part of the larger Productivity Places Program will deliver training and skills needs, create training pathways, recognise existing skills of workers and provide training places. It follows a successful trial due to finish in December where more than 1200 workers have received training.
Under the EBPPP the National Industry Skills Council network will collaborate with a number of small, medium and large enterprises, national professional associations and industry bodies.
Industry Skills Councils have specialised knowledge that positions them well to work with enterprises and support them in developing proposals for funding.
The EBPPP will start immediately and is continuing the Government’s commitment to strengthen productivity and protect the Australian economy.
Partnership between industry and the government will be essential to the success of this new program and the final number of employees trained will depend on the takeup of the program by businesses.
Contact details for the relevant Industry Skills Councils can be found at http://www.isc.org.au/.
More information on the Productivity Places Program can be found at http://www.productivityplaces.deewr.gov.au.