small business festival
Government investment in skills and training increased Both Commonwealth and State governments are investing billions of dollars in subsidising education, training and skills development for individuals, industry and the community generally. Obtaining a qualification is an important step for an individual to improve employment prospects and expand career opportunities. For businesses, skills development is essential to achieve increased productivity and profitability. At the same time, Australia is facing a skills crisis, which threatens its international competitiveness - with up to 8 million Australian workers reported as not having the required reading, writing or numeracy skills to
meet the needs of trade and professional jobs. The challenges are compounded when we also take into account the rapid rate of technological change, which is not only affecting the way jobs are performed, but almost every aspect of our daily lives. As a consequence, governments and the wider community are placing much greater priority on the need for training and up-skilling, and both Commonwealth and State Governments have
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allocated billions of dollars to various programs to address these needs. On August 8th as part of the Geelong Small Business Festival, representatives from the Higher Education and Skills Group and Adult and Community Further Education sections of the Victorian Government’s Department of Education, together with the Commonwealth Government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workforce Relations, will present a free seminar on the various funding programs available to support training and skills development. The seminar will be particularly relevant for businesses to understand how the VET training system now functions, options available in training delivery and the subsidies available, which greatly reduce training costs for employers. It will also present resources to assist employers to prepare workforce development and training plans specific to their business needs. Given that enhancing the
productivity of the Australian workforce through Learning & Development is a key focus of government, a range of complementary Commonwealth and Statebased schemes now serve to fund or subsidise the training and upskilling of employees across all industries. Training may include entry level and/ or foundation skills courses that address basic skills such as workplace literacy and numeracy, IT literacy or employability skills; to higher skills training through nationally recognised accredited qualifications. Upskilled qualifications allow participants to increase productivity and job satisfaction while advancing their career prospects and salary expectations. The shifting nature of government policy means that the funding and incentives landscape is subject to rapid changes. This seminar is a must for all businesses looking to improve their productivity through workforce development.
FREE SEMINAR Government Funding for Education, Training & Skills Learn about Commonwealth and State funding programs to support training and skills development for business, community organisations and individuals. Topic: ‘Commonwealth & State Funding for Training & Skills Development’ The seminar will help businesses to understand the VET training system and how it can benefit their training and up-skilling needs. Presenters: Barry White – Higher Education and Skills Group (DEECD) Joanna Harrison – Dept of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations David Harris – Learn Local (ACFE)
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Date: Aug 8, 2012 Time: 9.30 – 11.30am Place: City of Greater Geelong (Council Chambers) City Hall, 30 Gheringhap Street Registrations: barry.white@dbi.vic.gov.au harris.david.d1@edumail.vic.gov.au joanna.harrison@deewr.gov.au
ph. 0419 281 057 ph. 0408 410 846 ph. 0409 094 105