ACT Government skills and training initiatives

Commitment to CIT as the cornerstone of Canberra's training system

CIT is the ACT's public provider of vocational education and training.

The ACT Government is committed to delivering at least 75 per cent of total VET funding to CIT as the primary provider of Canberra's vocational education and training.

CIT supported over 20,000 students under its profile funding in 2021.

CIT Yurauna Centre

Adult Community Education Grants Program

The ACE Grants Program provides funding for the delivery of accredited and non-accredited foundation skills training. The program, delivered by not for- profit organisations, aims to provide pathways for further education and training, and employment.

Since 2019, the program has funded 18 community education projects to support migrants, refugees, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans, women seeking to return to the workforce, carers, youth-at-risk and unemployed Canberrans.

Future Skills for Future Jobs Grants Program

The Future Skills for Future Jobs Grants Program provides funding for innovative projects that promote market diversity and aim to increase the number of commencements across pre-apprenticeship, pre-traineeships, Australian Apprentices and higher apprenticeships.

Since 2019, the FSFJ Grants program has funded 26 projects across a range of industry areas and occupations, including hospitality, building and construction, civil construction, transport and logistics, electrotechnology, disability support services, digital media, creative industries, project management, early childhood education and care, aged care, allied health, social enterprises and ICT.

Workforce Attraction Cooperative Grants Program

The Workforce Attraction Cooperative Grants Program assists local businesses to attract the workforce they need to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow. Examples include marketing campaigns to attract interstate talent, the development of industry level recruitment strategies or research into understanding skills shortages at an industry level.

Australian Apprenticeships (User Choice)

Australian Apprenticeships combine practical work with structured learning and lead to a nationally recognised qualification. They can be full-time, parttime or school-based and can be undertaken by both new and existing workers.

Australian Apprenticeships can start while a student is attending school and form part of a student’s Year 12 Certificate. These are called Australian School-based Apprenticeships (ASbAs).

In 2021, there were 11,191 training places supported in the ACT through this initiative.

Skilled Capital

Skilled Capital provides funding for Canberrans to access quality training in skills needs areas across a range of industries.

In 2021, Skilled Capital supported 423 training places across 25 registered training organisations.

JobTrainer

JobTrainer is a national fund established in 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, to provide free training for young people and jobseekers in areas of skill needs.

JobTrainer is jointly-funded by the ACT and Australian governments.

Since 2020, 2,883 Canberrans have undertaken free training through JobTrainer.

Infection Control Training

In response to the first wave of the pandemic, the Australian Government established a joint Commonwealth-State fund to deliver infection control training, prioritising customer-facing workers.

Head Start Pilot Program

Due to commence in 2022, the Head Start Pilot Program will assist 50 ACT public school students to extend their senior secondary program by one year and commence a recognised qualification or trade through a ASbA.

ACT Building and Construction Industry Training Fund

The ACT Building and Construction Industry Training Fund Authority (the TFA) collects a training levy of 0.2 per cent of the cost of building and construction work in the ACT, where the total cost of the work exceeds $10,000.

The Authority invests in projects and training that directly supports the industry's skills-base in accordance with the Authority’s annual training plan.

In 2021 the Training Fund Authority supported $4.25 million of training for local construction apprentices and businesses.

The ACT Government has engaged Lockbridge Pty Ltd to undertake an independent review of the Building and Construction Industry Training Levy Act 1999 (ACT) (the Act). The Act was adopted in 1999 and as such it is timely to review its effectiveness and appropriateness.

The Act recognises the importance of a skilled building and construction industry workforce in the ACT and establishes the the TFA.

The review will consider:

• the effectiveness and appropriateness of the Act
• the TFA’s role and responsibilities, including best practice governance and accountability
• initiatives to which the TFA allocates its funding and the alignment of this allocation with the workforce requirements of the ACT building and construction sector
• opportunities to expand the role of the TFA to administer additional sources of training funding supported by the industry.

The review will be supported by:

• stakeholder engagement with the TFA, relevant industry groups, employee representatives and individuals.
• a jurisdictional scan of equivalent Acts.

The review findings will inform recommendations, which could include recommendations to amend the Act. The review has now commenced and is due to be completed in April 2024.

Should you wish to discuss the review further or have any questions, please email Skills Government Relations.