Apprenticeships and traineeships

Apprenticeship and traineeship funding

$24 million is allocated towards apprenticeships and traineeships to offer Territorians the opportunity to study and earn an income while undertaking a qualification (Budget and regional overview, p. 17).

Workwear and workgear bonus

Payments of either $300 or $1000 are available through the workwear and workgear bonus to eligible first-year full-time, part-time or school-based apprentices or trainees to subsidise workwear and equipment costs (Budget and regional overview, p. 11).

Employment

Aboriginal Ranger Grants Program

The Aboriginal Ranger Grants Program, within the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security, is allocated $9 million over three years ($5.197 million in 2023-24) to support Aboriginal ranger groups to undertake conservation and land and sea management on country, including fire, weed and feral animal management activities (Fact sheet: Environmental management, p. 2; Budget paper no. 3: Agency budget statements, p. 88).

Initiatives to address workforce shortages in the Territory

This key existing initiative administered by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade is allocated $2.55 million in 2023-24 (Budget paper no. 3: Agency budget statements, p. 70).

Industry

Re-energising tourism - growing the capability of the Aboriginal tourism sector

The key new initiatives funded in 2023-24 include $19.3 million in 2023-24 to re-energise tourism including for marketing activities, Aboriginal tourism industry development and visitor services across the Territory. $3.8 million is allocated to grow the capability of the Aboriginal tourism sector, including skills development and mentoring and business support. The re-energising tourism initiative is also allocated $16.3 million in 2024-25 (Budget paper no. 2: Budget strategy and outlook, p. 15; Budget and regional overview, p. 8).

Remote and community housing

The $1.1 billion National Partnership for Remote Housing Northern Territory, which is delivered through the Our Community. Our Future. Our Homes. program, concludes 30 June 2023. Requests for tenders must comply with a minimum 40 per cent Aboriginal employment for works delivered, with Aboriginal people employed from the community where the works are happening if possible, and develop local Aboriginal businesses to enable sustainable training and apprenticeships. New capital works funding for the Remote Housing Investment Package totals $195.02 million in 2023-24 (Budget paper no. 3: Agency budget statements, p. 147).

Supporting women in construction and engineering

$220 000 is provided in 2023-24 to support women in the fields of construction and engineering, which includes: funding for two women to undertake a Certificate IV in Civil Construction Supervision; an engineering scholarship, supporting two female students over four years to study a Bachelor of Engineering at Charles Darwin University; and sponsoring the National Association of Women in Construction to grow careers in construction (Budget and regional overview, p. 17).

National Agreements

The total Commonwealth Payments for specific purposes and National Partnership Payments to the Northern Territory for Skills and Workforce Development are estimated at $19.653 million for 2023-24.

National Skills and Workforce Development Specific Purpose Payment (SPP)

The Territory Government estimates it will receive $14.745 million for the National Skills and Workforce Development SPP in 2023-24 (Budget paper no. 3: Agency budget statements, p. 79).

National Partnership Payments

National Partnership Payments for 2023-24 have been estimated at:

• $4.098 million for the Fee free TAFE program
• $810 000 from the JobTrainer Fund (Budget paper no. 3: Agency budget statements, p. 79).

The budget papers also show $99 000 was received for the Fee free TAFE program, $726 000 from the JobTrainer Fund, and $330 000 from the National Infection Control Training Fund in 2022-23 (Budget paper no. 3: Agency budget statements, p. 79).

Training providers and programs

Workforce funding

The Workforce output group, within the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, administers the vocational education and training (VET) system and will be provided $102.878 million for 2023-24 (Budget paper no. 3: Agency budget statements, p. 69).

Strengthening VETiS

The existing key inititiatives include $1.2 million in 2023-24 to deliver Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS). The program is expected to support an additional 350 secondary school students to enrol in 23 additional courses (Budget and regional overview, p. 13; Budget paper no. 3: Agency budget statements, p. 126).

VET Data Streamlining in the NT

$938 000 was received under Commonwealth grants for VET Data Streamlining in the NT in 2022-23 (Budget paper no. 3: Agency budget statements, p. 79).