Structural Adjustment Places
The Australian Government provides Structural Adjustment Places (SAP) through the Productivity Places Program (PPP) for workers who have lost their jobs or been stood down due to the Global Recession. This training is specifically available via employers and representatives (e.g. unions and business associations) for groups of displaced workers and provides them with the opportunity to gain new skills and qualifications in areas they need in order to regain employment. Workers need to be in receipt of a separation certificate or notice of redundancy.
These places are available until 30 June 2010 at the Certificate II level and above (Certificate II qualifications became available for applications received from December 2009). Structural Adjustment places can be accessed by employers or a representative (e.g. union or business association).
Upon approval of training places under SAP, the applicant is responsible for informing their retrenched workers about the availability of the training and for assisting them to select the appropriate qualification and Registered Training Organisation (RTO) to deliver it. The participants may then approach an RTO contracted to deliver the desired qualification under the PPP.
How to apply for Australian Government delivered Structural Adjustment Places
To enquire about whether an organisation is eligible for SAP, an employer or a representative (e.g. union or business association) should write to:
The Branch Manager
Industry Engagement Branch
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Location code C16MT5
GPO Box 9880
CANBERRA CITY ACT 2601
Applications must state:
- the name of the employer;
- the industry sector in which the employer operates;
- the location of the retrenched or stood down workers;
- any specific reason for the retrenchment or stand down, expected timeframes for retrenchment or stand down and the expected commencement of training;
- the total number of workers affected; and
- the number of SAPs sought.
What other training options are available for recently retrenched workers?
If you are an individual who has recently been retrenched you may be eligible for a state or territory government delivered PPP job seeker training place.
The Council of Australian Governments agreed with state and territory governments to deliver a Compact with Retrenched Workers on 2 July 2009. This Compact allows retrenched workers to access state and territory delivered government-subsidised Vocational Education and Training qualifications, such as those available through PPP.
See a Job Services Australia provider to have your requirements for assistance and eligibility for a PPP training place offered by your state or territory government assessed. You will need to be in receipt of a separation certificate or notice of redundancy.
Structural Adjustment Places (SAP) for insulation workers
The Australian Government has recently made SAP places available for workers that have been affected as a result of changes to the Home Insulation Program.
The places are part of the Insulation Workers’ Adjustment Package which provides assistance to support the retention and retraining of former insulation workers in the industry. This assistance aims to increase the employment resilience of workers by increasing their skills, particularly in areas of high employment demand.
Training places are now available to retrain redundant insulation workers in a qualification (Certificate II level and above) to enable them to find new jobs in an industry or occupation of their choice.
Places are available through Insulation Employment Coordinators to provide training to stood down insulation workers in eligible Certificate II and above qualifications. Note a stood down worker (also described as a short work or short week person) is someone working on reduced hours/days per week, and only being paid for those hours/days, as a result of changes to the Home Insulation Program.
Places to retrain insulation workers for new jobs through JSAs
Insulation workers made redundant as a direct result of the cessation of the Home Insulation Program will be able to immediately access Stream 2 or higher intensive employment assistance through a JSA provider under the Government’s Compact for Retrenched Workers. As part of these arrangements, redundant insulation workers will be able to access a SAP place to be retrained in a Certificate II or above qualification to help find a new job.
Eligible Participants
To be eligible to be trained to find a new job, eligible participants must have been made redundant or stood down as a direct result of the cessation of the Home Insulation Program. They can be:
- an insulation installer;
- an insulation manufacturing and assembly workers; or a
- a sub-contractor or sole trader who was previously employed in the manufacturing, assembly and installation of insulation products.
Existing workers that haven’t been made redundant or stood down who wish to seek training support through the PPP, need to pursue the existing worker stream of the program via relevant state and territory governments. Links to state and territory government websites and contact numbers are provided on the State and Territory Government Delivery of PPP page.
How do eligible participants get referred to training?
Eligible participants must be referred by a Job Services Australia (JSA) provider and have a notice of redundancy or separation certificate. Eligible participants can contact a JSA provider in their local area. The contact details of JSA providers can be found at the Jobsearch website or by calling the job seeker hotline on 13 62 68.
A JSA provider will discuss with the eligible participant what options are available for retraining in an industry or occupation of their choice. The JSA provider can refer the eligible participant only to a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that is currently contracted to deliver PPP qualifications.
A list of eligible RTOs and qualifications is available on this web page (see ‘Find available SAP courses’ on this page). A JSA provider will be able to advise redundant workers about training delivered in their local area.
Registered Training Organisations (RTOs)
Contracted RTOs will be required to complete a specific template (see below) once participant(s) have been referred to them by a JSA The template will include information such as Job seeker ID number, the name of the referring JSA, and the name of the employer (where the displaced worker was employed). Multiple participants can be included on the one template. Once completed, the template must be sent to SAPinsulation@deewr.gov.au.
RTOs should also use this template for stood down workers looking to complete a Certificate II and above qualification that were referred by Insulation Employment Coordinators.
The Department (should all criteria be met) will arrange PIMS access for the RTO to enrol the respective participant(s).
RTOs should note that enrolments must be entered onto PIMS by 30 June 2010.