New support for work-based training in the public sector

The Government is to provide better support for work-based training within the public sector, State Services Minister Trevor Mallard and Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey announced today.

Work-based training provided for state sector employees through Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) will be paid for from the Industry Training Fund from July 2001. The Industry Training Fund subsidises structured industry leading to nationally-recognised qualifications up to level 4 on the National Qualifications Framework (national certificates). An additional $23 million was provided in the Budget over the next four years for industry training, bringing the total Industry Training Fund allocation to $70.7 million per year from 1 July 2001.

"Systematic work-based training is not currently available across the public sector. The Government is moving to remedy this in line with our commitment to build up the capability of public organisations and to boost the skills of state sector staff.

"Employees doing comparable jobs in the private and public sectors will now be able to benefit alike from industry training arrangements leading to national qualifications.

"Industry Training Organisations set standards, design national qualifications and manage systematic work-based training for their industries. The Government has already provided short-term assistance for the Public Sector Training Organisation (PSTO) to support its basic operations. Access to the Industry Training Fund will enable PSTO to broker training services for state sector staff.

"In addition the Government is committed to full state sector participation in our new Modern Apprenticeships programme. We will shortly be announcing the details of Modern Apprenticeship programme pilots which will run over the remainder of 2000," the Ministers said.

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