As part of the South Australian Government’s $13.7m investment into the skills system, Skills SA have opened applications for three project grants on Thursday 30 March 2023.
Skill Shortage Solutions support projects that collaboratively address skill shortages at an industry, sector, regional or workforce level through partnerships that develop and pilot industry informed, customised, or localised skills solutions.
A core feature of successful projects will be strong partnerships that demonstrate how stakeholders drawn from across relevant industry bodies, professional associations and unions, regional and community organisations, employers, and training organisations will work together to develop and implement solutions.
Supporting immediate action the grants target priority areas:
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- Priority Trade Solutions – cookery, bricklaying, defence, saw technology, concreting
- Women in Trades Training Solutions – strategies to attract, retain and develop trade opportunities for women across the state
- Strategic Skills Solutions – trade and technician occupations in shortage with strong future skills demand
Learn more: Skill Shortage Solutions
Project applications are invited for projects that design and pilot new models of support that meet the specific needs of learners in training settings and or support VET graduates transitioning to employment.
Focused on improving the safety and inclusiveness of VET learning experiences in training and on the job, successful projects will design and deliver models in partnership with specialist subject expertise from conception to completion, and target learners who:
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- Are neurodiverse and/or,
- Have a disability and/or,
- Face mental health challenges and/or,
- May experience barriers due to gender or to sexual, cultural or gender identity.
Learning from the models should be sustainable and applied beyond the project.
Preference will be given to pilot projects that integrate both the development and application of a model.
Learn more: Learner Support Grants
In 2023-24, Skills SA is supporting a regional Skills Centre pilot to provide physical space that connects learners, industry, training providers and employers in a collaborative, innovative and proactive way.
The Skill Centre grant is an immediate response to the skill shortage challenges facing the state’s regions.
Engagement on the South Australian Skills Plan highlighted the need for better connections between learners, providers, and employers – particularly in regional areas.
Regional challenges such as acute skills shortages across multiple industries, difficulty attracting training providers to deliver locally, and low VET completion rates means people are missing out on opportunities.
Supporting local communities to grow and thrive by connecting learners, providers and employers and helping them to navigate the system is central to addressing the challenges facing regional South Australia.
Learn more: Skills Centres Grants