VET News

The new $1B JobTrainer Program is set to subsidise training and wages for young Australians and create over 340,000 new training spaces 

The Federal Government has revealed the new JobTrainr skills investment package which will focus on training or re-skilling job hunters across a wide range of industries. The billion-dollar program aims to subsidise training for over 340,000 Australians entering the workforce.

Commenting about the program, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said “COVID-19 is unprecedented but I want Australians to be ready for the sorts of jobs that will come as we build back and recover.”

Consequently, the program will subsidise training for what the National Skills Commission deems as “high-growth areas.”

What is the JobTrainer Program?

The nation-wide program is part of the “Job” series of programs which includes JobSeeker, JobKeeper, and JobMaker. The program will get $500M from the Federal Government to provide training for school leavers and those struggling to find work amid COVID-19. Further, States and Territories will match the $500M that is being allocated to provide free training, inflating the cash pool for training subsidies to $1B. 

It is understood the program will lead to short courses like Certificate III, Certificate IV, and Diplomas being fully-subsidised (or nearly fully-subsidised) by the government. This is good news for Registered Training Organisations and TAFEs who offer these levels of courses.

Will Jobtrainer Affect Your RTO?

Yes, it is expected that the program will subsidise training for a massive range of short courses being offered by private providers like RTOs and TAFEs.

The subsidy will cover short courses in the fields of individual support, building and construction, transport and logistics, information and communications, health, manufacturing, retail, and other massive industries.

What Particular Courses Being Offered By My RTO Will Be Covered?

This will depend on what the NSC deems as areas of high demand. As of writing, they are yet to identify which particular skills shortages would make an impact to Australia’s economic recovery.

The NSC will be working with the states to identify what the “target areas” are.

What States and Territories Will Be Covered by JobTrainer?

All States and Territories will be participating in the Program. This is a breakdown of the training spaces to be made available per state and territory:

Will the JobTrainer Scheme Affect Current Trainees or Apprentices?

Trainees and apprentices that are currently employed will get wage subsidies instead.

This comes after the Federal Government announced another $1.5B investment in skills on top of its initial $1.3B stimulus package to make sure apprentices kept their jobs.

This is a developing story and will be updated in the future. Follow our social media accounts to get more latest news on the VET industry.

IMPORTANT: In light of COVID-19, the Annual Declaration of Compliance deadline has been extended from 31 March to 30 April 2020

The submission of the Annual Declaration on Compliance is a critical and necessary requirement for all Registered Training Organisations, and the information you’ll provide in the declaration is a requirement of clause 8.4 of the Standards for RTOs 2015.

No doubt most RTOs are either preparing for their submissions or have already sent it. After all, this is an essential requirement, and the deadline is only until March 31, 2020.

If you haven’t sent in your submission yet, don’t worry! There’s still time to help your RTO meet its compliance requirements!

How Can I Prepare for my Annual Declaration on Compliance?

Taking regular self-assessments will prepare you for your annual declarations and audits. Your RTO should take systematic self-assessments to identify areas where taking rectifying actions is necessary and to establish evidence of compliance with the Standards.

Taking systematic self-assessments will also help your organisation look into its practices and processes to identify ways to achieve optimal outcomes for your students.

You can use ASQA’s Self-Assessment Tool to identify areas of improvement and determine the actions needed to improve compliance.

What Can I Do to Improve Compliance?

After looking into areas of improvement, you should take rectifying actions. You should note that the most common compliance issue with RTOs is in the area of Training and Assessment.

Since the area of training and assessment is a big hurdle for many RTOs, it is in your best interest to invest in quality RTO training materials that are clear and comprehensive. Investing in the right RTO training resources will help ensure that you’re ahead of the competition and are meeting your compliance requirements. This is especially true now that competitive RTOs are looking for ways to upgrade their training resources to support more flexible training options [this is a necessity in light of recent events like the COVID-19 outbreak].

Enquire about quality training and assessment materials now to support your RTO’s compliance and business continuity!

If the scope of your RTO’s non-compliance covers more than your RTO training and assessment materials, then you can consider getting expert advice.

Should I Get Expert Advice From RTO Consulting Services Providers?

If you have other concerns or if you and your team want to be more confident in audits or the Annual Declaration on Compliance, then you should consider an RTO consulting service provider. Get in touch with us now so we can refer an RTO consultant that will help you with your RTOs needs!