More training places and funding for aged care

The Australian Government has included aged care in its Productivity Places Program which plans to fund 20,000 new skills training places from 1 April 2008.

Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) interested in participating in the Productivity Places Program can access expression of interest forms.

These 20,000 new skilled training places kicking off in April will ensure that workers with improved skills will enter the workforce as early as June 2008.

They will focus on areas of acute skills shortage in the Australian workforce and will include health and community services – special care worker, child care worker, personal care and nursing assistant.

The Productivity Places Program is the first step in the Government’s election commitment to provide an additional 450,000 training places over the next four years to ensure that Australians develop the skills that industry needs.

The Productivity Places Program will be delivered in a progressively reformed system which will shift the focus from funding training with little regard to employment outcomes or the needs of the economy, to an increasingly responsive system driven by industry demand.

The Departmebnt of Education, Employmnet and Workplace Relations is seeking submissions from RTOs wishing to offer approved qualications udner the Program.

Submissions can be made from 7 March 2008. For more information visit www.dest.gov.au/productivityplaces.