Apprenticeships and traineeships

Payroll Tax Rebate (Trainees, Apprentices and Youth)

The Payroll Tax Rebate Scheme provides payroll tax relief to businesses operating in Tasmania that employ apprentices, trainees and youth employees. The Scheme has been extended to 30 June 2025 and applies to all new apprentices and trainees employed before that date. The payroll tax rebate is provided for a two-year period from the date that apprentices and trainees are employed and one year from the date that youth employees are employed (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, p. 92).

The estimated cost of the Payroll Tax Rebate Scheme Extension is $700 000 in 2024-25, $1.8 million in 2025-26 and $2.8 million in 2026-27 (Budget paper no. 1: The budget, p. 72).

Employment

Jobs Tasmania and Regional Jobs Hub Network

$13 million is allocated over three years ($3.535 million in 2024-25) to continue the Regional Jobs Hub network through to 2027 (Media release, 12 September 2024; Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 306 and 327).

Area Connect

$1.6 million is allocated in 2024-25 for the Area Connect jobs and training transport service, working closely with the statewide Regional Jobs Hub network, to support Tasmanians facing transport disadvantage for an additional one year (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 306 and 325).

Workforce Participation and Training Program

$2.5 million ($1.25 million each year for two years) will be provided, through Jobs Tasmania, to specialist organisations to support disadvantaged or vulnerable population cohorts to engage with the labour market, including Dress for Success, Hamlet and the Tasmanian Bike Collective. Other organisations with similar objectives may also be supported under this particular initiative (Media release, 12 September 2024; Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 307 and 330).

Meals on Wheels

$44 000 is provided in 2024-25 for Meals on Wheels Tasmania to attract new and support its existing volunteers, by providing them with mental health first aid, defensive driver and first aid training (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 99 and 105).

Industry

2030 Visitor Economy Strategy 

$4.86 million in 2024-25 and $4.215 million in 2025-26 is allocated to support the delivery of priorities outlined in the 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy, including attracting a skilled workforce, in collaboration and partnership with industry (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 306 and 325).

Advanced Manufacturing Action Plan

$633 000 in 2024-25, and $1.85 million each year in 2025-26 and 2026-27, is provided to implement a range of actions under the Tasmanian Government's Advanced Manufacturing Action Plan 2028 including grant programs, client engagement and project initiatives supporting the development of Tasmania's manufacturing sector (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 306 and 325).

Building Youth Justice Workforce Capability

Around $2.15 million ($375 000 in 2024-25) is provided to support the development and implementation of a Youth Justice Workforce Strategy which will comprise workforce planning, marketing and recruitment, and ongoing workforce management. The funding provides for 3.0 full time equivalent (FTE) workers to coordinate, design and deliver the relevant training and induction processes. It will also support the ongoing delivery of certificate IV qualifications in Youth Justice, refined child-centred induction processes and training, psychological first aid courses, to deliver training and ensure appropriate use of force methods are integrated in the operations of Ashley Youth Detention Centre and any new youth detention centre (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 43 and 47).

Early Years Workforce Development Fund

$4.5 million is allocated ($950 000 in 2024-25) over four years to grow and upskill the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workforce, with the investment to go to more than 500 workers. The aims of the fund are to deliver: 200 scholarships of between $15 000 (diploma and certificate III) and $30 000 (bachelors and masters) for education and care qualifications, and to work with a Tasmanian ECEC service; a settling incentive of $2 500 for ECEC staff to relocate to remote and hard-to-staff locations including Flinders and King Islands and the West Coast; and retention incentive bonuses of $2 500 for every year of service, between four to six years, for staff who remain at the same ECEC provider in rural, isolated or hard to staff areas (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 302 and 311).

Fermentation Tasmania

Fermentation Tasmania Ltd will receive $1.4 million in 2024-25 to assist with the fit-out and equipping of a Fermentation Hub that is currently being constructed at Legana. The Hub is designed to be a centre of excellence where existing and new businesses can share knowledge and ideas, develop new products and provide hands-on learning for trainees and apprentices (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 302 and 312).

High Impact Marketing Campaign to Encourage Careers in Agriculture

$340 000 is allocated in 2024-25 to partner with the Tasmanian Agricultural Education and Training Partnership, led by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, to deliver a high-impact marketing campaign and digital platform relating to agricultural careers (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 186 and 188).

High-Vis Army extension

This initiative will extend the High-Vis Army Program from 2024-25, supporting:

• Civil Contractors Federation Tasmania - $1 million each year for two years
• Housing Industry Association - $250 000 each year for two years
• Master Builders Tasmania - $1 million each year for two years
• Master Plumbers Association of Tasmania - $250 000 each year for three years
• National Electrical Contractors Association - $250 000 each year for three years (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 302 and 314).

Incat Support

$5.25 million is allocated in 2024-25 to support Incat's expansion plans with a co-contribution to support new training facilities, equipment, production halls, growth in floor space and Tasmania's first marine recharging facilities (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 303 and 315).

Tasmanian Transport Association

Funding will be provided over two years ($970 000 in 2024-25 and $220 000 in 2025-26) to support the Tasmanian Transport Association to develop industry capability for heavy vehicle driver licensing, training and assessment; for workforce development for the State's freight transport industry; for the Open Road Physical and Mental Health and Wellbeing Program; and towards transition planning for carbon reduction and resilience (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 305 and 323).

Visitor Experience Training

This initiative will provide annual funding of $650 000 for two years from 2024-25 to Visitor Experience Training (VXT). VXT is a purpose-built organisation that works to train a hospitality and tourism workforce to deliver the Tasmanian experience. This funding will support VXT to meet the demand for non-accredited, workplace-based, outcome-focused short courses (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 305 and 324).

Wool Centre

$1.7 million is allocated in 2024-25 to establish Tasmania's first shearing and wool handling innovation centre at the Campbell Town Show Grounds (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 306 and 325; Media release, 1 June 2024).

National Agreements

In 2024-25, the Australian Government will provide estimated funding of $62.7 million to support skills and workforce development services in Tasmania through the National Skills Agreement and National Partnerships.

National Skills Agreement

Funding from the Commonwealth Government under the National Skills Agreement is estimated at $47.5 million in 2024-25 (Budget paper no. 1: The budget, p. 100).

National Partnerships

The total Skills and Workforce Development National Partnership Payments are estimated to be $15.2 million for 2024-25, comprising:

• Energising Tasmania - $4 million
• Fee Free TAFE - $500 000
• North-West Tasmania Job Ready Generation Fund - $700 000
• JobTrainer Fund - $5 million
• Skilling Australians Fund - $5 million (Budget paper no. 1: The budget, p. 101).

Training providers and programs

Beacon Foundation

 Additional funding of $2.4 million is provided over two years ($1.2 million in 2024-25) for the Beacon Foundation to continue the Work-Based Learning Services program in secondary government schools. The program will continue to provide students with meaningful industry connections and work-based learning opportunities for up to 50 secondary government schools (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 43 and 45).

Building our VET Workforce

$750 000 is provided over four years ($187 000 in 2024-25) to use an innovative approach to expand the vocational education and training (VET) workforce and attract industry experts and skilled tradespeople to deliver more VET in government schools. The initiative aims to upskill 60 tradespeople and workers by funding their completion of a Certificate IV Trainer and Assessor program (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 43 and 45; 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future: A Job-Ready Generation of Young Tasmanians).

Earthworks Training - Dig Drive Go

$4.3 million is allocated in 2024-25 to establish and construct a purpose-built civil construction live works training site at Quercus Park. The site will provide practical training in the operation of plant and heavy machinery and is estimated to deliver up to 3 000 training qualifications per year in the civil construction industry. The funding includes $1.8 million to establish the site's infrastructure, including: demountable site buildings for classrooms; toilets; a work site; a lunchroom; a trainer's office and first aid; and an equipment shed. It also includes $2.5 million for equipment including: excavators; a roller; a grader; a skid-steer; a 10-yard truck; a telehandler; a front-end loader; a backhoe; and safety equipment (Media release, 12 September 2024; Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 302 and 311; 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future: Earth Works Training - Dig, Drive, Go).

More Vocational Learning for Years 9 and 10

$625 000 is provided each year for four years from 2024-25 to enable continued partnering with peak industry bodies to design packages of vocational learning that prepare Years 9 and 10 students for apprenticeships and careers in high demand industries, including early education and care services, tourism and hospitality, health and community services, agriculture, and manufacturing (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 43 and 46).

New Southern Remand Centre

The Minister for Corrections and Rehabilitation officially opened the new Southern Remand Centre on the Risdon Prison site on 6 July 2022. The final stage of this project is the construction of a new, state-of-the-art kitchen with training facilities for prisoners. The facility will provide opportunities for employment and support the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners, initially employing up to 50 minimum classification rated male prisoners, but with a potential for other prisoner cohorts to work in the new kitchen. The Department has a target completion date for construction and operational commissioning of December 2025. An allocation of $15 million that included the new kitchen was provided under the Southern Remand Centre infrastructure program in the 2020-21 budget (pp. 160, 162 and 186) (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 162 and 163).

Renewable Energy Training Facility

$4 million is allocated to deliver a new renewable energy industry training facility in Burnie, in partnership with industry. The training facility is expected to support up to 20 apprentices each year (Media release, 12 September 2024; Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 304 and 319; Media release, 27 February 2024).

Skills and Workforce Development funding

The expenses for Output Group 3.1: Skills and Workforce Growth are estimated at $208.66 million in 2024-25. Additionally, skills, training and workforce growth related expenses for Output Group 90 - COVID-19 Response and Recovery, comprising the Rapid Response Skills Initiative, are estimated at $2.5 million in 2024-25 (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 332-333).

TasTAFE

TasTAFE is a not-for-profit government business that operates under the TasTAFE (Skills and Training Business) Act 2021, and it is the largest public vocational education and training (VET) provider in Tasmania, providing the majority of vocational training for Tasmanian businesses. It is estimated that TasTAFE will receive around $121.3 million in grant funding and $26.7 million from the sales of goods and services in 2024-25 (Budget paper no. 2 volume 2: Government services, pp. 121-122).

VET Facilities Fund

Funding of $30 million is provided to deliver modern, fit-for-purpose VET facilities and industry standard equipment at Colleges, Secondary Schools and Trade Training Centres (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 63 and 66).

YouthBuild Program

$200 000 is provided each year for four years from 2024-25 to support the Housing Industry Association (HIA) to deliver the YouthBuild program in all 55 secondary government schools in Tasmania (Budget paper no. 2 volume 1: Government services, pp. 43 and 46; 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future: A Job-Ready Generation of Young Tasmanians).