The Critical Skills Investment Fund (the Fund) provides $200 million Australian Government co-funding for industry partnerships to undertake projects that provide training and employment opportunities in critical industry sectors.
The goal of the Fund is to help increase the supply of skilled labour for enterprises in these sectors. To achieve this, the Fund will support projects that train and place job seekers into available positions, and that up-skill existing workers to meet new demands.
Projects for funding are selected through competitive funding rounds.
Funding Round 1
On 19 September 2011, the Minister for Skills and Jobs, the Hon Senator Chris Evans, announced successful projects under Funding Round 1 worth more than $41 million, with Australian Government contributing $28 million.
The successful projects provide rapid and innovative training that is tailored to meet the immediate skills needs of enterprises in the resources, construction, infrastructure and renewable energy industry sectors.
Enterprises are working in partnership with registered training organisations on projects that increase the number of women, Indigenous and young Australians working in these critical industry sectors in regional Australia.
Further announcements are expected to be made in relation to Funding Round 1.
Future Funding
On 21 September 2011, Minister Evans announced that the Critical Skills Investment Fund would merge with the National Workforce Development Fund to streamline skills support under Skills Connect – a range of initiatives designed to consolidate the Government’s industry skills programs and better target industry and worker training.
More information will be posted on the DEEWR website as it becomes available.
View the Media Release
National Workforce Development Fund
The National Workforce Development Fund provides $558 million over four years to support training and workforce development in areas of current and future skills need and will incorporate funding from the Critical Skills Investment Fund. The Fund builds on the success of the Critical Skills Investment Fund and the Enterprise Based Productivity Places Program. Further details can be found on the National Workforce Development Fund website: www.deewr.gov.au/nwdf.
Documentation
The Critical Skills Investment Fund Guidelines are below, along with a fact sheet and examples of potential projects
What is the National Resources Sector Workforce Strategy?
The Australian Government has accepted the recommendations of the Resourcing the Future report as the first stage of a National Resources Sector Workforce Strategy. Two of the recommendations in the strategy (5.4 to establish a Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) Coordinator in Cairns, and 5.5 to support a Women in Resources Facilitator to help attract and retain more women in the resources sector) are being supported in accordance with Attachment G of the CSIF Guidelines. Further information on the National Resources Sector Workforce Strategy can be found at: www.deewr.gov.au/resourcesworkforce.
CSIF Advisory Board
The Advisory Board for the Critical Skills Investment Fund was announced on 12 November 2010 by Senator Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations. The Board, comprising seven external members with relevant expertise in employment, training, labour market and skills development, is responsible for overseeing the Fund’s administration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions and presentations in the CSIF can be found on the Frequently Asked Questions page.
You can make enquiries or provide feedback about CSIF by accessing the CSIF Mailbox. Use the Contact CSIF link on the top right-hand side of this page.