The South Australian Government has provided $87 million from the Federal Government’s Skilling Australians Fund that will complement $100 million of state government funding to support work-based apprenticeships and traineeships.
South Australia is the first state to sign-up to the Skilling Australians Fund and negotiations are underway to secure further federal government skills funding and create more than 20,000 additional opportunities for apprenticeships and traineeships.
SA Premier Steven Marshall said, “This investment is a significant shot in the arm for our state’s skills training sector and will help ensure more South Australians are job-ready for key growth industries such as defence.
“Apprenticeships are vital to building a skilled supply of workers for industry and this has never been more important as we move to a more diversified economy and to capitalise on major, long-term national defence contracts awarded to South Australia.”
The Premier and Minister for Industry and Skills, David Pisoni, said, “The Marshall Liberal Government is committed to assisting more local businesses have the ability and the confidence to take on apprentices and trainees, which will not only add value to their operations but the entire state.”
There were 14,725 apprentices and trainees in-training in SA at the end of last year – down from 30,690 in 2013, according to data from the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research.
In addition to this program, the Skills policy includes:
- Fixing the Subsidised Training List
- Streamlining the registration process for employers to hire apprentices
- Flexible Apprenticeship pathways for commencing full-time work in Year 12 while still completing SACE
- Re-establishing Industry Skills Councils and Revitalising the Training and Skills Commission
- The detailed program of activity to grow apprenticeships and traineeships in South Australia through the Skilling Australians Fund will be announced in coming weeks
Employers and apprentices will have access to the program from July.
