...and delivering skills in regional Australian
The Government's initiatives will help address skills shortages in regional Australia by building better education infrastructure in the regions, funding training projects, coinvesting with regional employers, and more effective use of skilled migration to fill skills shortages that can't be met in other ways.
The Government's Building Australia's Future Workforce Package will support regional employers, workers, trainees and job seekers.
The Budget will establish a National Workforce Development Fund (NWDF) to develop a new partnership with industry. The Government will provide $558 million over four years for industry‑led training projects in key sectors and for priority occupations. A fair share of this funding will go to regional Australia. The NWDF includes funding from the Critical Skills Investment Fund.
The Government knows that skills needs differ across the regions. Through a new partnership with industry, the National Workforce Development Fund will help ensure our training investment is focussed on the needs of industries and regions.
To attract skilled migrants to work in regional Australia, the Government is specifying 16,000 places to the Regional Skilled Migration Scheme and fast tracking permanent residency for 457 visa holders who live and work in regional Australia for two years. The Government is also introducing Regional and Enterprise Migration Agreements so regions and major resource projects can tailor migration solutions to meet their skills needs.
