JobTrainer set to upskill thousands of Aussies
JobTrainer set to upskill thousands of Aussies
As part of its Economic Response to COVID-19, the Australian Government is providing free or low-fee training courses across the nation through its $1 billion JobTrainer Fund.
Asset College has been invited to put forward proposals for how our organisation can assist in the retraining of thousands of Australians who have been left without work due to COVID-19. As Large Training Provider of the Year for 2020, we are currently developing some great programs that we may be able to delivery nationally to help with skill shortages and get more Aussies back into gainful employment.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has shared that the purpose of the JobTrainer initiative is to create more employment opportunities for Australians.
He said, “JobTrainer will ensure more Australians have the chance to reskill or upskill to fill the jobs on the other side of this crisis.”
Morrison has placed a great emphasis on how this initiative aims to rebuild the economy in hopes of strengthening the current workforce. JobTrainer will also support those undertaking apprenticeships where an additional $1.5 billion is available as a wage incentive.
What does the JobTrainer fund mean for you?
If you are a jobseeker looking for work but don’t have the skill set for the most in-demand jobs, this will mean you may be able to access free or heavily subsidised training. The areas that have been identified as in-need of skilled people include health, aged and disability care, IT and trades. It appears the JobTrainer fund is targeted predominantly at jobseekers and at young people, including those who are just finishing up at high school.
Within the scheme the focus is on those aged 17 – 24 and also for those businesses who employ apprentices and trainees and helping to keep them within those programs. This will include small and medium-sized businesses with 200 employees or less who had an apprentice working for them on 1 July 2020.
What can I study under JobTrainer?
State and territory governments are responsible for determining which qualifications and short courses to prioritise from the agreed list, with focus on training in areas of anticipated employment growth. This means, that each state and territory may have different offerings dependent on what they feel are the most urgent skill needs.
At time of writing this article, many states and territories have not determined what they will be offering. Register for updates to find out about your state and territory here.
Many of the fee-free training opportunities are likely to be short courses rather than Certificates or Diplomas which may provide a faster entry-point into employment than traditional 12 month programs.
If the JobTrainer scheme is of interest to you and you would like to find out what Asset College can offer under this scheme, register your details on our website and we will make contact with you when we have options available.
For all updates on JobTrainer you can follow the Department of Education, Skills and Employment website.