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.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison commented about the program: “COVID-19 is unprecedented, but I want Australians to be ready for the jobs that will come as we build back and recover.”
Consequently, the program will subsidise training for what the National Skills Commission deems “high-growth areas.”
What is the JobTrainer Program?
The nationwide 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 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, the program is expected to subsidise training for a massive range of short courses 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 on Australia’s economic recovery.
The NSC will work with the states to identify the “target areas”.
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:
| >States | Approximate number of places |
| NSW | 108,600 |
| Vic | 88,900 |
| Qld | 68,500 |
| WA | 35,200 |
| SA | 23,500 |
| Tas | 7,100 |
| ACT | 5,700 |
| NT | 3,200 |
| Total | 340,700 |
Will the JobTrainer Scheme Affect Current Trainees or Apprentices?
Trainees and apprentices who 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 the latest news on the VET industry.
