Apprenticeships and traineeships

ACT Apprentice and Trainee concession

Currently enrolled apprentices and trainees residing in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) will receive a one-off cost of living support payment of $250 in 2024-25. Apprentices and trainees are typically amongst the lowest earners in the ACT and this payment will help meet some of the costs of tools, equipment and fuel. It is estimated the cost of the concession will be $1.605 million (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 95).

Boosting business and the economy - Australia's first Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence

The TAFE Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Electric Vehicles (EVs), to be located at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Fyshwick campus, will include the development of new diploma and degree apprenticeships - see the Training providers and programs section below for more information (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 97).

Integrated Energy Plan - Training more electricians

A 90 per cent subsidy for the Certificate III in Electrotechnology course within the User Choice program will be introduced to increase opportunities for skills development and support the ACT's energy transition. The Government will also consider further opportunities to support the development of skills through changes to subsidy arrangements for other priority qualifications. The cost of this initiative ($18.124 million in 2024-25; $75.618 million over four years) is offset through funding from the National Skills Agreement with the Commonwealth, existing budget funding, and the cessation of User Choice and Skilled Capital completion payments (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 104). The new subsidy will be $18 810 for Certificate III in Electrotechnology commencements from 1 July 2024 (Skills Canberra: User Choice, 4 July 2024).

Investing in public education - Continuation of Head Start

$1.692 million ($413 000 in 2024-25) is provided for the continuation of the Head Start Program, which will support an additional cohort of 50 students to commence their Australian School Based Apprenticeship at the start of the 2025 school year. This initiative builds on $2.2 million provided in the 2021-22 budget initiative 'Investing in public education - Headstart pilot program' (p. 164) to implement the Head Start Pilot program, supporting 50 students to commence an apprenticeship through a national training contract (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, pp. 123-124).

Employment

Continuation of the Early Learning Connection and Return to Work programs

The Government is committed to improving the health and wellbeing outcomes for all women and girls in the ACT through the Third action plan 2023-26 under the ACT Women's Plan 2016-26. Actions underway and funded in 2024-25 include:

• The Early Learning Connection program supports women to build career pathways in early childhood education and will ease workforce pressures in the sector. The program supports women to undertake a certificate III, diploma or degree qualification in early childhood education. This wraparound support includes coaching and mentoring; study skills, group coaching sessions and workshops; financial assistance for course fees; and paid employment in early learning centres across the ACT (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 69; Budget 2024-25: Women's budget statement, p. 13).
• The ACT Women's Return to Work program supports vulnerable women experiencing barriers in returning to the workforce, including mentoring and community-based workshops. This initiative will be funded from within an existing provision for the program and it extends the 2021-22 budget initiative 'Women's workforce participation - Supporting gender equality' (p. 159). The expenses of the initiative are estimated to be $146 000 over four years ($30 000 in 2024-25), which will be offset by $140 000 (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 115). More information about the program is available in the Budget 2024-25: Women's budget statement (pp. 13-14).

Industry

Boosting business and the economy - Future Jobs Fund - Continuation

$3.55 million is allocated over two years ($3.15 million in 2024-25) to provide continued support to the Future Jobs Fund to promote and attract investment to the ACT, foster innovation and support key sectors in the ACT's knowledge economy. This initiative builds on recent Government actions including the 2022-23 budget initiative 'Knowledge Capital - Future Jobs Fund' (p. 166) (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 98).

Continuing the Understanding Building and Construction Program Pilot

The Understanding Building and Construction Program (UBCP), launched in 2022, provides an opportunity for young women and gender-diverse students in the ACT to explore opportunities in the construction industry. The program was developed through a partnership between the Government and the National Association of Women in Construction and has continued with partial funding from the ACT Building and Construction Training Fund Authority. The UBCP equips students in years 8 to 10 with the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue careers in construction by providing targeted training, personal protective equipment, and practical experiences (Budget 2024-25: Women's budget statement, p. 14). The program, delivered in five ACT public schools, is one of the actions from the Third action plan 2023-26 under the ACT Women's Plan 2016-2026 that are underway and funded in 2024-25 (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 69).

National Agreements

In 2024-25, the Australian Government will provide estimated funding of $50.941 million to support skills and workforce development services in the ACT through the National Skills Agreement (NSA) and National Partnership Payments (NPP).

National Skills Agreement

Funding from the Commonwealth Government under the NSA is estimated at $47.275 million in 2024-25 (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 233).

National Partnerships

Funding for the Fee Free TAFE Skills Agreement is estimated at $3.666 million in 2024-25 (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 233).

The Australian Government 2024-25 budget includes within the notes for the tables that the state and territory allocations for the Capital and Equipment Investment Fund and Turbocharge the Teacher, Trainer and Assessor Workforce NPPs have not yet been determined (Budget paper no. 3: Federal financial relations, pp. 53-54).

Funding of $4.78 million for the Turbocharging TAFE Centres of Excellence NPP is allocated in 2026-27 (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 233).

Training providers and programs

Boosting business and the economy - Australia's first Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence

A TAFE Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Electric Vehicles (EVs) will be established at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Fyshwick campus. The aims of this initiative are to foster a partnership between Government, industry, universities and the Commonwealth to grow skills needed in strategically important industries, to deliver world class training that supports Australia's growing EV workforce, and to develop new diploma and degree apprenticeships. The cost of the initiative will be fully offset through existing budget funding, additional funding received from the Commonwealth, and grant funding from the Commonwealth through the TAFE Turbocharging Fund and TAFE Technology Fund (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 97).

The Australian Government will provide $9.7 million, to be matched with $9.7 million by the ACT Government, to establish the CoE. Additionally, the Australian Government will provide a further $4.8 million (rounded) to accelerate the project (Media release, 6 May 2024). $4.78 million is allocated in 2026-27 for this initiative under the 'Turbocharging TAFE Centres of Excellence' Skills and workforce development National Partnerships Payments (NPP) (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 233).

 The CIT '2024-25 priorities and the next three years' include: the CoE will provide training in light and heavy vehicles; design and develop programs to transition the existing workforce; upskill TAFE educators; explore training in adjacent areas of vehicle to grid, charging installation and smart home integration; and an applied research program will be established to collaborate with industry and drive innovation in the sector (Budget 2024-25: Budget statements B, pp. 131-132).

Canberra Institute of Technology funding

The ACT public vocational education and training (VET) provider, CIT, is a Territory Authority established under the Canberra Institute of Technology Act 1987. CIT has an allocated total cost of $151.429 million and controlled recurrent payments of $87.321 million for 'Output Class 1: Provision of Vocational Education and Training Services' in 2024-25 (Budget 2024-25: Budget statements B, p. 136).

General Government Sector expenses by function: tertiary education

The expenses of the VET component of the tertiary education function is estimated to be $152.927 million in 2024-25, increasing from the estimated outcome of $151.157 million in 2023-24 (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 288).

Investing in smart campus technology for the new Canberra Institute of Technology Woden Campus

Funding is allocated in 2024-25 for audio visual equipment and smart campus technology for the new CIT Woden campus to provide high quality educational spaces equipped with modern learning tools that prepare students for the jobs of the future. This initiative builds on previous funding provided to deliver the CIT campus in Woden through the 2020 Economic and Fiscal Update initiative 'Building the Woden CIT Campus and Transport Interchange' (p. 85), the 2022-23 budget initiative 'Canberra Institute of Technology Woden Campus Project and public transport interchange' (p. 187) and the 2023-24 budget initiatives 'Modernising the Canberra Institute of Technology's facilities and improving accessibility', and 'Upgrading the Canberra Institute of Technology's ICT infrastructure' (p. 100). The capital cost of this initiative ($7.237 million) is offset by the 2023-24 Budget review initiative 'CIT Woden Campus - Provision of fitout, furniture and ICT' (p. 82) (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, p. 93).

Upgrading the Canberra Institute of Technology's ICT infrastructure

The Government will continue to provide funding to upgrade CIT's information and communications technology (ICT) systems and deliver the Cloud Campus program. Cloud Campus will modernise CIT's learning and teaching environments, and business and administration systems - to support flexible, accessible, and contemporary learning practices that respond to the current and future education and economic needs of the ACT. It will enable students to access flexible and virtual learning environments by enabling the development and delivery of CIT virtual learning content. The delivery of the Cloud Campus program will support the commencement of classes at the new CIT Woden campus from Semester 2 2025. This initiative is partially offset by the capital provision in the 2023-24 budget initiative Upgrading the Canberra Institute of Technology's ICT Infrastructure (p. 100). The total amount of capital costs that are offset is $5.939 million, and the net cost of services is estimated to be $5.939 million in 2024-25 (Budget 2024-25: Budget outlook, pp. 93-94).