Best bits of the Budget 2010-11
The main Budget announcements commencing on 12 May 2010 include:
* The introduction of the Apprentice Kickstart Extension. The Apprentice Kickstart Extension is available to employers who are small or medium enterprises (ie. employers with less than 200 employees), including eligible Group Training Organisations who employ an Australian Apprentice aged 19 years and under and who is undertaking a Certificate III or IV level qualification that leads to a skills shortage trade occupation. The Apprentice Kickstart Extension triples Government incentives in the first year for employers of young people commencing a trade apprenticeship between 12 May 2010 and 12 November 2010 (inclusive). For more information on the Apprentice Kickstart Extension, please refer to the Apprentice Kickstart Extension Fact Sheet on the publications page of the Australian Apprenticeships website.
* As part of the 2010-11 Federal Budget, the Australian Government has announced funding of $19.9 million over four years to support the Smarter Apprenticeships Program. This initiative will provide industry with the means to adopt and foster support for accelerated training delivery and drive structural change to industry training delivery to embed true competency based training for apprentices. The initiative also aims to tackle cultural and attitudinal change in their industries to demonstrate that accelerated training doesn’t compromise training quality. For more information on the Smarter Apprenticeships Program, please refer to the Smarter Apprenticeships Program Fact Sheet on the publications page of the Australian Apprenticeships website.
* The Government will appoint an Expert Panel to advise on the steps needed to sustain and grow a stronger Australian Apprenticeships system. The panel will examine apprenticeship training arrangements, including current incentives, and suggest principles and evidence to improve outcomes for both apprentices and industry. The work of the panel will be underpinned by a study on related economic costs and benefits, including research undertaken by the National Centre for Vocational Education and Research. The panel will report to the Government by the end of 2010.
UPDATE: A press release including the members of this expert panel is available HERE.
* The Securing Australian Apprenticeships Through Registered Training Organisations initiative ceased from 12 May 2010. State and Territory Governments introduced greater flexibility in User Choice funding arrangements in 2009 in an effort to support Australian Apprentices through the global recession. As a result, Registered Training Organisations are funded to provide training to out-of-trade apprentices and trainees under existing funding arrangements in each jurisdiction. For more information on the cessation of this initiative, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Australian Apprenticeships website.
