Apprenticeships and traineeships

Growing future skills with more apprenticeship and vocational training places

$1.5 million over three years, with $500 000 allocated to each year, is provided to establish a Future Skills for Future Jobs grants program to support industry projects that help increase apprenticeship commencements. The 'Growing future skills with more apprenticeship and vocational training places' initiative will attract matched contributions from the Commonwealth through the National Partnership on the Skilling Australians Fund (NPSAF) (Budget paper 3: Budget outlook, p. 87; Budget statements B, p. 47).

Matching apprentices and trainees to the right job

$291 000 over three years, with $94 000 allocated for 2019-20, is provided to establish a new Workforce Skills and Development Unit. The 'Matching apprentices and trainees to the right job' initiative will support increased apprenticeship commencements by matching training workers to suitable employment placements and will attract matched contributions from the Commonwealth through the NPSAF (Budget paper 3: Budget outlook, p. 89; Budget statements B, p. 47).

Employment

Initiatives with ongoing support

Continuing grants programs include:

• Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program, reducing barriers to further education and or training, and providing pathways to improved labour force participation (Social inclusion statement, p. 50)
• Mature Workers Grants Program, funding new services to supporting older workers who are seeking to upskill or reskill (Social inclusion statement, p. 50)
• Return to Work grants program, supporting women who have been out of the paid workforce due to caring responsibilities for an extended period to re-enter employment by providing a grant to cover the cost of education and training or childcare (Social inclusion statement, p. 43)
• Veterans Grants Program, funding for projects such as veterans' family days, blacksmithing programs, training packages, sporting programs and the arts (Budget Statements G, p. 3; Social inclusion statement, p. 49)
• Work Experience and Support Program (WESP), helping people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to gain office skills and Australian workplace experience (Social inclusion statement, p. 40).

Industry

Sector capability building

$15.9 million over four years will be provided to Canberra Innovation (CBRIN) ($4.7 million) and Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate (CMTEDD) ($11.2 million) to continue supporting business development activities in focus areas such as the defence, higher education, cyber security, space, renewable energy and agri-technology sectors. The initiative includes, from 2019-20, a two year work program in partnership with AustCyber to support the cyber security sector by enhancing existing workforce capability and encouraging collaboration between government, the private sector and academia (Budget paper 3: Budget outlook, p. 29).

National Agreements

National Skills and Workforce Development Specific Purpose Payment

An estimated $26.1 million of funding is expected from the Commonwealth under the National Skills and Workforce Development Specific Purpose Payment for the provision of vocational education and training services in 2019-20 (Budget paper 3: Budget outlook, pp. 272 and 280).

National Partnership on the Skilling Australians Fund (NPSAF)

An estimated $4.893 million of funding is expected from the Commonwealth under the NPSAF for 2019-20 (Budget paper 3: Budget outlook, pp. 272 and 280).

Training providers and programs

Canberra Institute of Technology funding

The Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) is a Territory Authority established under the Canberra Institute of Technology Act 1987 (the Act). Controlled recurrent payments (appropriated revenue from the government) are estimated at $ 75.067 million for 2019-20. A total of $7.127 million has been allocated for capital works, including $3.06 million over three years ($160 000 allocated for 2019-20) for more teaching and learning spaces for CIT Fyshwick (Budget paper 3: Budget outlook, pp. 134, 138 and 361).

Better ICT services for CIT students and staff

$116 000 over two years has been provided, with $57 000 allocated in 2019-20 to modernise the ICT systems that support CIT's students and teachers. 'Better ICT services for CIT students and staff' includes replacing physical infrastructure at the Bruce and Fyshwick campuses which has reached end of life and constructing a new ICT platform and environment to provide a better digital learning environment (Budget paper 3: Budget outlook, pp. 78, 85, 134 and 138).