Training The Next Generation

Minister For Education, Training and Skills Blair Boyer

Education is a key driver in delivering opportunities to young people. By being agile to the needs of industry, we can address the skills crisis and ensure we are responsive to its needs and facilitate growth in priority areas.

The Malinauskas Labor Government has taken action to invest in the future of this state, which has seen a significant increase in training enrolments – a strong skills sector is imperative to ensuring a strong economy and to meet our ambitious agenda.

It follows the 2024-25 State Budget where a record investment in skills funding for South Australians with the automotive and electric vehicle sector a key component of the state’s economic future.

This includes an additional investment of $692.6 million over five years in the vocational education and training sector to lift the total investment, as part of the National Skills Agreement (NSA), to $2.3 billion in partnership with the Commonwealth.

This funding means new and improved experiences for learners, greater outreach for quality training and demonstrates another clear step towards ensuring we have a well-trained workforce to meet our skills needs today and into the future.

• The Malinauskas Labor Government has been a strong supporter of the MTA and its members because its role in the sector is important for the future growth of the state. As such, we have been supporting MTA through a range of initiatives, including:

• $394K under the Skills Centre Pilot to launch a regional centre in Cleve that connects learners, industry, training providers and employers; supporting a minimum of 30 new apprentices to commence at the MTA Cleve training facility and equipment for mobile training equipment including hydraulic training simulators for apprentices and upskilling opportunities across the region.

• $249K under Equipment and Capital Grants to invest in contemporary infrastructure, equipment, and technology aligned with South Australia’s areas of skill demand and economic priorities; to upgrade the training facility at Royal Park, increasing capacity and providing students with access to the latest light vehicle equipment used in workshops.

• $240K under the MTA Apprentice Mentoring Program to address skills shortages in the automotive retail, service and repair sector by delivering industry mentoring services to first and second-year apprentices.

• $231K under the Travel and Accommodation Allowance to reduce the costs incurred when apprentices employed by MTA are required to travel long distances to attend training; and

• Continuing to access over $8m for delivery of subsidised accredited training and the specific Group Training Organisation initiatives such as South Australian Group Training Program, GTO Boost and GTO Support Program to improve completion rates for apprentices, support provision of pastoral care and mentoring, and reduce costs to host businesses.

• I’ve been pleased to join both Frank and Darrell to visit the Cleve and Royal Park Training Centre and see the facilities and tool upgrades these grants have provided.