Workforce Planning Tools

The Commonwealth government likes the reforms being implemented in South Australia and it shouldn’t be lost that new national reforms are titled Skills for all Australians and in SA its Skills for All (implemented from July 2012).  With News South Wales and Queensland moving into a period of state based VET reform, watch for similarities (and differences).

Skills for all Australians

The Prime Minister has announced a Skills Reform package for States and Territories to reform the national vocational education and training system to address skills shortages across the economy.

Skills for all Australians aims to achieve a more competitive, dynamic economy.

The Commonwealth has committed $1.75 billion over five years to achieve key reforms to be negotiated with the states and territories through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG):

• a national entitlement to training at a minimum of the first certificate III qualification so working age Australians have the opportunity to gain the skills needed to get a decent, sustainable job in Australia’s new economy;
• wider access to student loans to reduce upfront cost barriers to study at the diploma and advanced diploma level;
• increased availability of information about courses, costs and training provider quality through a new My Skills website so students and business can make well informed choices about their training options, linked to their own needs and the needs of the economy; and choose a high quality training provider to help them develop the skills they seek;
• support for quality teaching and assessment, including trialling models for independent validation of training provider assessments so students and employers can have confidence in the quality and consistency of training they purchase;
• support for a strong public training provider network through the implementation of the reforms to ensure a high quality training system is accessible to all Australians; and
• incentives to achieve improved completion of full qualifications, particularly at higher levels and for disadvantaged students, to deliver the qualified workers that business needs and give all Australians the opportunity to develop skills and participate in the workforce.

In response to the Commonwealth Government’s reform agenda on taking office, COAG agreed ambitious skills objectives by 2020 to:

• double the number of higher level qualifications completions (diploma or advanced diploma);
• halve the proportion of Australians aged 20 to 64 years without a qualification at the certificate III level or higher; and
• increase the proportion of young Australians aged 20 to 24 attaining a year 12 or equivalent to 90 per cent by 2015 (with equivalence measured as certificate II or above by 2015, and certificate III or above by 2020).

Skills for all Australians has 3 main documents – reforms, supporting students, and small business – keep an eye on this website and the PM’s press site for further info and announcements.

NB. COAG next meets on 13 April 2012 – watch the website for the Communique.

Skills for All

Friday 30 March is the day that many people have been waiting for with the release of the Skills for All Subsidy Framework and Price list.  Information sessions are being run on 2 April 2012 and 4 April 2012.

The Skills for All Subsidised Training List details the qualification that can be funded.  Registered Training Organisations need to apply to become a Skills for All Training Provider and a guide to completing the application has been published.

Skills in the Workplace addresses urgent skills requirements for South Australian industries and enterprises.

Delivery foundation skills programs by applying to first be a listed ACE provider and then for grant funding.  Applications for the 2012/13 grant funding round must be received by Friday 27 April 2012.

The Training Guarantee for SACE students means the South Australian Government will pay a course subsidy to a Skills for All Training Provider for selected SACE students who are 16 years of age or older.

National Workforce Development Fund

Please be advised of the following information from Service Skills Australia, thanks to Bernard Moore:

a)    Closing date for the national workforce applications is this Friday. Please ensure you leave adequate time to lodge directly.  If lodging through Service Skills, please lodge by 4pm AEST, Thursday 29^th March 2012.

b)    For those organisations running short of time to complete a full application, please complete the electronic expression of interest:

http://www.surveymethods.com/EndUser.aspx?7F5B372D773A2F2F7B

(The aim is to collate and lodge these expressions of interest for funding where sufficient detail is available).

c)    ALL candidates must be enrolled in an approved project by end May. The registered training organisation must be able to report enrolments by first week of June. (Training provider admin processes will need to be operating effectively as candidates not recorded on that RTO report in the first week of June cannot be funded).

For a summary of User Choice RTO funding for Australian Apprenticeships across all states and territories read WPAA’s latest blog.

Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) Program – Funding for resource and strategic project 2012

Submissions for WELL funding are invited from eligible organisations that wish to develop a resource or strategic project that supports adult language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) training across one or more industry sectors.

Resources can include training materials that support:

• a nationally endorsed Training Package
• industry relevant LLN assessment and reporting methods, or
• professional development resources for industry trainers/assessors aligned with Training Packages.

Strategic projects must have national scope and can include:

• the development of LLN plans for a particular industry or industry group, or
• the development and implementation of a national model or strategy to integrate LLN into workplace training with a cross-industry focus.

Application forms, guidelines and other relevant information are available on the WELL website.  For further information, please contact the WELL Resource Coordinator on 02 6240 7498.

Applications must be submitted electronically through WELL Online, which can be accessed through the WELL website.  Resource project applications must be received by 5.00 pm AEST, Monday 16 April 2012.

Keep up to date via LinkedIn

Australian VET Leaders

NBN Enabled Capability Development Network

Workforce Planning Tools