The Building Australia’s Future Workforce package provides a $3.02 billion investment over six years for a new approach to deliver the skilled workers the economy needs and ensure more Australians have the opportunity to share in the nation’s prosperity. This is in addition to new funding of more than $2 billion over the next four years for Australia’s university sector.
Budget measures relating to:
The Accelerated Australian Apprenticeships initiative will support quality apprenticeship training and help Australian apprentices to advance through their training as they demonstrate the required competencies. Under the Accelerated Australian Apprenticeships initiative funding will be allocated at the industry level. More information on Accelerated Australian Apprenticeships can be obtained here.
The $101 million Australian Apprenticeships Mentoring package comprises two programs – the Australian Apprenticeships Mentoring Program to provide targeted mentoring and assistance for Australian Apprentices, and the Australian Apprenticeships Advisers Program to provide advice to potential Australian Apprenticeship candidates to guide them in choosing the right occupation through an Australian Apprenticeship pathway. Both programs aim to improve Australian Apprenticeship retention rates, in order to support the supply of skilled workers in areas of demand.
The Australian Apprenticeships Mentoring package responds to the findings and recommendations of the Apprenticeships for the 21st Century Expert Panel, appointed by the Government in 2010 to advise on reform options for the Australian Apprenticeships system. In its final report, the Expert Panel identified low completion rates as a key limiting factor to the effectiveness of the system.
Mentoring was identified by the Expert Panel as one of the most significant and beneficial strategies to support Australian Apprentices through to completion of their training. The first year of training was identified as a critical period, as this is when the majority of cancellations occur.
Research into the reasons why Australian Apprentices fail to complete their training identified that an initial lack of understanding of what training would entail was a major factor, and that education for prospective Australian Apprentices about what the Australian Apprenticeship entails, the nature of the work and what the employer expects are required.
Under the Building Australia’s Future Workforce package the continuation of the current number of places and individualised levels of service available under the Australian Apprenticeships Access Program has been supported by additional funding commencing from 1 July 2012.
The Access Program provides vulnerable job seekers with pre-vocational training, individualised intensive job search assistance and post-placement support to help them find and keep an Australian Apprenticeship. See the DEEWR website for more information on the Building Australia’s Future Workforce package and the Australian Apprenticeships Access Program.
From Budget night, access the standard commencement incentive and the Group Training Organisations completion incentive for Certificate II level qualifications will be only be available for Australian Apprenticeships provided to Indigenous Australians, apprentices with disability, Australian School-based Apprentices, the mature aged, those in a rural or regional area and job seekers with severe barriers to employment (classified as Jobs Services Australia stream 4 clients*). Further information can be found on the Australian Apprenticeships removal of universal access to Certificate II incentives questions and answers.
* From 19 December 2011, Job Services Australia stream 3 clients are also eligible.
See the DEEWR website for more information on the Building Australia’s Future Workforce package and the Apprentice Reform factsheet.