In the 2022/23 financial year, 20,996 industry workers attended approved training programs funded by the Authority, with $3,483,749 provided in training rebates. Overall, the Authority provided $5,741,610 to fund activities in its five operational programs of entry‑level training; existing‑worker training and professional development; promotion, marketing, and sponsorship; research and development; and access and equity. In 2023/24, the Authority will continue to provide funding for training in the same key areas and has budgeted $4,593,550 to do so.
Incentive payments to employers of apprentices who are engaged under an ACT Contract of Training in trades that have been identified as having a skills shortage will continue as part of the Authority’s entry-level training program.
Since inception, these incentive payments have been extremely successful with funding provided for trades including bricklaying and block laying, civil construction – plant, civil construction - pipe laying, construction waterproofing, drainage, electronics and communications, fire protection, glass and glazing, horticulture turf, plant mechanical, plastering - solid, plastering - wall and ceiling lining, roof plumbing, stonemasonry, and wall and floor tiling. The trades where these incentives will be offered in 2024 will be announced in January 2024.
The Authority continues to fund a range of ACT colleges that provide vocational education and training in Certificate I & II construction training programs, as well as providing incentive payments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander apprentices, women in trades, persons with a disability, persons with a non‑English speaking background or building and construction workers returning to the workforce after injury.
In 2024, funding will continue to be provided to employers and group training organisations (GTOs) that employ and train an estimated 350 apprentices in the industry.
The Authority has continued its significant commitment to the funding of Work Health and Safety training for workers in the industry to improve the provision of a safe workplace and support the industry wide approach to the reduction of the ACT’s worksite injury rate.
Included in the 2024 Training Plan are examples of training courses funded in 2023, the names of the registered training organisation (RTOs) that delivered the training and their contact details.
2024 sees the continuation of the newly developed Authority mobile phone app which provides industry workers with additional options for sourcing course examples and RTOs for these courses, and another option for applying for the upskilling training rebates.
The Authority Board meets regularly to consider applications from industry regarding additional support for training funding, and I encourage all applications that seek to advance the training needs of workers across all industry sectors here in the ACT.
The Authority relies on industry stakeholders to guide the funding direction of all training programs in the industry. and greatly appreciates the advice and contributions made by many industry stakeholders, including employers, employees, GTOs, industry training advisory bodies, trades groups, RTOs, government agencies, industry associations and unions in the development of the plan./p>
My thanks to my board colleagues of the Authority for their assistance and counsel throughout the past year, and to the staff of the Authority for their commitment to the Authority and its stakeholders.
On behalf of the Authority, I commend the 2024 Training Plan to all stakeholders who have an interest in training for the future development of the building and construction industry in the ACT.
Michael Young
Chairman
August 2023