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Policy initiatives > Budget highlights > Australian Capital Territory 2023-24
The 2023-24 budget was released by the Barr Labor Government on 27 June 2023. Budget highlights relating to skills and training are provided below. Direct links to relevant budget papers are provided for quick and easy access.
The ACT Building and Construction Industry Training Fund Authority (the Authority) is the statutory body responsible for providing funding for the training of eligible workers in the ACT building and construction industry. The Authority's 'Program 1: entry level training' includes providing support to apprentices and trainees employed in trades and vocations and promoting awareness of the building and construction industry as a rewarding career choice. Program 2 includes funding existing worker training and professional development (Budget 2023-24: Building and Construction Industry Training Fund Authority statement of intent, p. 4).
The Authority estimates the expenses for the training programs it administers will be $4.7 million in 2023-24 (Budget 2023-24: Building and Construction Industry Training Fund Authority statement of intent, p. 12).
Continuing support is being provided by the ACT Government for the ACT Women's Return to Work program. The program includes providing one-off individual Return to Work Grants to support women who have been out of the workforce for an extended period to prepare for and obtain employment (Budget 2023-24: Women's budget statement, p. 10).
The 2021-22 budget included $420 000 to continue the program for a further three years ($140 000 in each year), and an evaluation would be undertaken in 2023-24 to assess the effectiveness of the program, with further funding provisioned in 2024-25 following consideration of the evaluation (Budget 2021-22: Budget outlook, p. 159).
Funding of $1.25 million will be provided over three years ($347 000 in 2023-24) for the continued delivery of the Indigenous Allied Health Australia - ACT Health Academy, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to enter the health sector workforce by offering education in a culturally supported environment (Budget 2023-24: Budget outlook, p. 166).
The Health Academy will support young Aboriginal people to complete Year 12 with a Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance. The program is likely to have a greater impact on women, due to the gendered nature of the healthcare workforce (Budget 2023-24: Women's budget statement, p. 7).
This $901 000 initiative includes expenses of $275 000 over two years ($135 000 in 2023-24 and $140 000 in 2024-25) attributed to Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) to support the continued delivery of vocational training for stage and theatre technicians (Budget 2023-24: Budget outlook, p. 134).
The policy, currently in development between the ACT Government and industry partners, will help to bridge the gender pay gap and make construction sites more inclusive workplaces for everyone. Increasing the ratio of women in the construction sector brings broad benefits including addressing skills shortages, increasing productivity, and improving mental health outcomes (Budget 2023-24: Women's budget statement, p. 10).
The total Commonwealth Payments for specific purposes and National Partnership Payments to the ACT for Skills and Workforce Development are estimated at $32.019 million for 2023-24 (Budget 2023-24: Budget outlook, p. 252).
The ACT has been allocated $29.411 million under the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development for 2023-24 (Budget 2023-24: Budget outlook, p. 252).
The 2023-24 budget includes $8.8 million (rounded) over two years under the new Fee Free TAFE: 12-Month Skills Agreement (including TAFE Technology Fund), comprising $6.234 million in 2022-23 and $2.608 million in 2023-24 (Budget 2023-24: Budget outlook, pp. 249 and 252).
An extension of Commonwealth funding for fee free TAFE from 2024 onwards was included in the 2023-24 Commonwealth Budget; however, state and territory allocations under this agreement are still subject to further discussions with the Commonwealth (Budget 2022-23: Budget outlook, p. 249).
The ACT public VET provider, CIT, is a Territory Authority established under the Canberra Institute of Technology Act 1987. CIT has an allocated total cost of $146.302 million and controlled recurrent payments of $75.613 million in 2023-24 (Budget 2023-24: Budget statements B, p. 146).
The 2023-24 budget includes an additional $52 million in funding to support opportunities to gain skills and qualifications through CIT. The new CIT Woden Campus, currently under construction, will provide state-of-the-art educational facilities and 21st century learning tools, including a seamless online learning experience with a hybrid delivery of learning to improve student accessibility and educational and training outcomes (Budget 2023-24: Budget outlook, p. 63).
The funding includes:
The expenses of the vocational education and training (VET) component of the tertiary education function is estimated to be $196.849 million in 2023-24, increasing from the estimated outcome of $179.565 million in 2022-23 (Budget 2023-24: Budget outlook, p. 298).
On 1 July 2022, all former Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate Output Class 3 outputs were combined to create Output 3.1: Economic Development (Budget 2022-23: Budget statements B - Note 1, p. 29). The estimated expenditure of the Skills function of Output Class 3: Economic Development for 2023-24 is $46.066 million (Budget 2023-24: Budget statements B, p. 24).
Prior year budget highlights can be accessed by clicking on the buttons below.
NCVER (National Centre for Vocational Education Research) 2023, Budget highlights: Australian Capital Territory, VET Knowledge Bank, NCVER, Adelaide, <https://www.voced.edu.au/vet-knowledge-bank-policy-initiatives-budget-highlights-australian-capital-territory-2023-24>.
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