Implementation Plan sa productivity Places Program – Job Seekers Context and program model

Reporting

10. 
    Collection and reporting of PPP data
    

In the medium term, reporting on PPP will occur through AVETMISS. South Australia will collect AVETMISS data as per other publicly funded collections using existing systems and processes in accordance with current national and state reporting arrangements.

Individual students funded by the SAPPEWP will be tracked using SA Government’s STELA system which feeds data directly to AVETMISS. If the required changes to AVETMISS can not be applied to activity from 1 January 2009, South Australia will build a module into STELA incorporating the additional fields required by the Commonwealth which currently sit outside AVETMISS.

All training funded under the SAPPEWP will be recorded by funded training organisations into the STELA system as a condition of funding.

Data collection will take place on a monthly basis and will enable PPP specific reporting to the Commonwealth on a monthly basis.

The Commonwealth will be provided with biannual reports (31 January and 31 July) which demonstrate progress against output targets and an analysis of barriers and achievements in meeting the targets.

Financial Reporting

Separate financial reporting arrangements will be established and maintained. This will include separate accounting for management of Commonwealth Government and State and Territory Government contributions for the SAPPEWP. To administer the funding South Australia will establish and maintain a special purpose account for the SAPPEWP.

Contracts with funding recipients will be let by a discrete business unit in DFEEST (Industry Skills Development Directorate) line managed by the South Australian Government representative. This Directorate is isolated from all RTOs including that of the public provider (TAFESA).

It will be the responsibility of the lead contract holder to administer funding as per any partner/sub-contractor arrangements.

Industry and enterprise engagement and brokerage

11. 
    Role of Industry Skills Councils (ISC), SA Training and Skills Commission and SA Industry Skills Boards (ISB)
    

South Australia will give consideration to proposals for Places brokered by the national ISCs with enterprises operating in SA. To facilitate this, SAPPEWP will build relationships with national ISCs through the delivery of ISC information sessions and briefings as required.

It is expected that these proposals will have been developed in consultation with South Australian Industry Skills Boards (or nearest equivalent industry association). South Australian ISBs are currently contracted to DFEEST for delivery of workforce development services and will be asked to participate in such consultations. It is also expected that any proposal developed by South Australian Industry Skills Boards (or nearest equivalent industry association) will be developed in consultation with the equivalent national Industry Skills Council.

Places requested by national ISCs sponsored proposals that satisfy the SAPPEWP criteria, application and assessment requirements applicable to all proponents submitting proposals in South Australia, inclusive of training delivery standards set out above, will be prioritised for funding within the limitations of the SAPPEWP budget.

This means that proposals developed by national ISCs will be subject to availability of Places held by South Australia at the time of application. Should the allocation of places be exhausted at the time of application, ISCs will be invited to bid in the next grant application period as long as the criteria around price, quality and eligibility are met.

The SA Training and Skills Commission will also be involved in discussions around priority proposals as appropriate

12. 
    Industry engagement
    

South Australia acknowledges that the need to upskill, retain and expand its workforce are the key objectives of the SAPPEWP. To achieve this South Australia will work closely with industry in order to determine where skills shortages are occurring and how these shortages can be addressed.

The determination of skill shortages will help identify the need for Productivity Places within industry.

To facilitate uptake of the Productivity Places for existing workers, South Australia will undertake a systematic program of consultation with a wide range of workforce development brokers.

These brokers include Industry Skills Boards (ISBs), Industry Skills Councils (ISCs), enterprises, employer and employee organizations, unions, welfare organizations, training providers and Employment Service Providers. The purpose of the consultation will be to:

• 
  Promote the PP Existing Worker Program
  
• 
  Describe in detail the eligibility criteria required of potential proponents
  
• 
  Raise awareness of the priority given to proposals which can address employment outcomes, and provide access to relevant educational and social support programs
  
• 
  Describe in detail the application process that will be in place for the submission of proposals
  

Consultation with workforce development brokers will be an on-going process to:

• 
  Support on-going identification of skills shortages and key areas of demand
  
• 
  Provide support, advice and guidance to proponents to develop and submit funding proposals
  

13. 
    Assistance to Skills Australia
    

The SAPPEWP will provide appropriate data and information to Skills Australia in the form of periodic updates, and in response to ad hoc requests for information as appropriate, to assist it in identifying industries, occupations and regions that are experiencing skills shortages.

14. 
    Equitable access to training places
    

In line with recent policy direction South Australia will implement an application process that ensures that the Productivity Places Program is driven by contestability, demand from industry (rather than supply driven by training providers ), with the need to address skill shortages in key industry sectors and requiring evidence of industry endorsement.

South Australia will support contestability by developing and implementing an application process that enables a wide range of workforce development brokers to apply for Productivity Place funding. Contestability will be ensured by:

• 
  All eligible proponents having the same opportunity to apply for Productivity Places funding
  
• 
  Proposals being assessed purely on merit as long as they adhere to the eligibility criteria and guidelines designed specifically for the SAPPEWP
  
• 
  Demonstrating value for money. Proponents will need to demonstrate that their application will achieve the proposed outcomes at a fair and reasonable price
  
• 
  Demonstrating ‘additionality’ i.e. can demonstrate that the funding being requested is for training that is additional to what would have otherwise been delivered in the enterprise/industry
  

South Australia will ensure that all potential proponents are treated ethically and fairly and have equal opportunity to apply for Productivity Places through a clearly defined application and assessment process, a probity plan, and by adhering to clearly designated ‘grant application rounds’.

Application grant rounds will be advertised through a wide range of media outlets. Proponents will be able to submit proposals at any time during the grant application round. Approval of proposals will be subject to funding availability and alignment with the articulated Program guidelines.

Providers

15. 
    Training Organisation eligibility and contestability
    

South Australia requires all training funded by the SAPPEWP to be delivered by a Registered Training Organisation(s) (RTO) registered under the requirements of AQTF. Proponents who are not themselves RTOs will be required to provide details of participating RTOs as part of any proposal submission. It is explicit within the application guidelines that an eligible RTO will:

• 
  Only deliver qualifications listed in their scope of delivery on NTIS (National Training Information Service);
  
• 
  Have no outstanding notices of significant ‘non-compliance’ under the AQTF;
  
• 
  Deliver nationally endorsed qualifications that are appropriate to meet identified skills needs in the South Australian workforce; and
  
• 
  Be able to comply with AVETMISS data requirements for publicly funded training.
  

This includes all RTOs registered to deliver training in SA, public and private.

With regard to training delivery South Australia will require any proponent identified as the principal contract holder to list the names of any other organisations involved in the delivery of the proposal and describe their roles and function. The proponent will also be accountable for any sub contracting arrangements in the proposal. This will include any training the RTO wishes to subcontract to any provider of VET training registered with the South Australian Training and Skills Commission or interstate equivalent.

In subcontracting training, South Australia requires RTOs to be responsible for ensuring the following requirements are met.

• 
  Any sub contracting arrangements will be formalised through a written agreement between the RTO and the subcontractor, which imposes the same obligations on the subcontractor as are imposed on the RTO.
  
• 
  The contracting RTO is responsible for the activities of its subcontractors and for ensuring compliance with the conditions of any funding agreement signed between the RTO and the sub contractor.
  

In addition proposals will be prioritised which demonstrate linkages with other educational and social support programs (whether the proponent’s own, or another organisation’s) which can be shown to lead to improved employment outcomes as a result of the training provided by the SAPPEWP.

Publications and communications

All publications, promotional and advertising materials, public announcements and activities or any products processes or inventions developed as a result of the implementation of the SAPPEWP will acknowledge the Program as a joint Commonwealth and State or Territory initiative.

This requirement will be incorporated into all contracts with RTOs and other organisations funded for new activity under the SAPPEWP.

Qualification Profile Target

Anticipated delivery of training places by AQF level.

Training Targets specified for South Australia in the National Partnership Agreement, p. 21, table 3

Existing Worker Qualifications
Adv Diploma	574	771	885	442	2 672
Diploma	2 297	3 083	3 539	1 769	10 688
Cert IV	2 297	3 083	3 539	1 769	10 688
Cert III	574	771	885	442	2 672
Cert II	0	0	0	0	0
Total	5 742	7 708	8 847	4 424	26 721
Existing Worker Enrolments(c)
Adv Diploma	721	1 215	1 596	856	4 387
Diploma	2 882	4 859	6 383	3 424	17 548
Cert IV	2 600	3 847	4 618	2 389	13 454
Cert III	650	962	1 155	597	3 363
Cert II	0	0	0	0	0
Total	6 853	10 882	13 752	7 265	38 753

Priority Industries and Occupations

Training places allocated under the SAPPEWP will target areas of current skills shortages and emerging skills needs agreed under the arrangements outlined in the ‘Management and Implementation’ section of the National Partnership Agreement.

The SA Productivity Places Program will seek input and labour market intelligence from the nine SA Industry Skills Boards, and DFEEST’s Workplace Information Service to identify SA specific areas of skills demand not on the existing Priority Occupations list. If appropriate these may be targeted productivity place allocations, and included in the Priority Occupations list. DFEEST will advise the Commonwealth of any such advice, its intention to target such occupations and enter into discussions with the Commonwealth to come to agreement on revisions to the Priority Occupations list.

Additions to the priority occupations list are likely to be identified (but not limited to) industry sectors experiencing structural adjustment, or in the mining, defence, automotive, transport and logistics, financial services, health and community services, and construction sectors.

1 And other temporary Australian Residents as specified in State and Territory Implementation Plans and in accordance with Commonwealth policy regarding access to services.

2 Skilling Australia For The Future (Australian Government 2008); A Skills Strategy for South Australia’s Future (Government of South Australia 2008; Skills and Workforce Development in South Australia: The Challenge for the Next Decade (Economic Development Board 2008).

3 And other temporary Australian Residents as specified in State and Territory Implementation Plans and in accordance with Commonwealth policy regarding access to services