Free Training for Existing Workers
Free Training for Insulation Workers

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR)

Productivity Places Program for Existing Workers

Productivity Places Program (PPP) is the Australian Government's Skilling Australia for the Future Initiative. As part of its Skilling Australia for the future initiative, the Australian Government recognises the importance of nationally endorsed training in assisting job seekers to acquire skills and gain lasting employment and assisting existing workers to update or upgrade their skills. Productivity Places Program funding for Existing Workers provides funding for full qualifications at the Certificate III, IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels.

Who is an existing worker?
An Existing Worker is defined as someone who is currently working (employed for at least 1 hour per week), aged 17 years or over and is:

• Australian citizen or
• Permanent resident of Australia or
• Humanitarian refugee.
  

Are there any eligibility criteria for existing workers with regards to previous qualifications?
Existing Workers can gain a new qualification or upgrade an existing qualification. Under the PPP Existing Workers are able to gain a new qualification or upgrade an existing qualification. People who already hold a qualification are not excluded from participating in further training under this Program. The Program aims to increase the number of people with qualifications and the number of people with higher level qualifications by investing in their training. Must be a resident within the state where the funding is being provided (e.g. a resident of South Australia to get funding from South Australia PPP).

Structural Adjustment Places (SAP) for insulation workers

The Australian Government has recently made SAP places available for workers that have been affected as a result of changes to the Home Insulation Program. The places are part of the Insulation Workers' Adjustment Package which provides assistance to support the retention and retraining of former insulation workers in the industry. This assistance aims to increase the employment resilience of workers by increasing their skills, particularly in areas of high employment demand.

Training places are now available to retrain redundant insulation workers in a qualification (Certificate II level and above) to enable them to find new jobs in an industry or occupation of their choice.

Places are available through Insulation Employment Coordinators to provide training to stood down insulation workers in eligible Certificate II and above qualifications. Note a stood down worker (also described as a short work or short week person) is someone working on reduced hours/days per week, and only being paid for those hours/days, as a result of changes to the Home Insulation Program.

Places to retrain insulation workers for new jobs through JSAs
Insulation workers made redundant as a direct result of the cessation of the Home Insulation Program will be able to immediately access Stream 2 or higher intensive employment assistance through a JSA provider under the Government's Compact for Retrenched Workers. As part of these arrangements, redundant insulation workers will be able to access a SAP place to be retrained in a Certificate II or above qualification to help find a new job.

Eligible Participants
To be eligible to be trained to find a new job, eligible participants must have been made redundant or stood down as a direct result of the cessation of the Home Insulation Program. They can be:

• an insulation installer
• an insulation manufacturing and assembly workers; or a
• a sub-contractor or sole trader who was previously employed in the manufacturing, assembly and installation of insulation products.
  

Existing workers that haven't been made redundant or stood down who wish to seek training support through the PPP, need to pursue the existing worker stream of the program via relevant state and territory governments. Links to state and territory government websites and contact numbers are provided on the contact page.

How do eligible participants get referred to training?
Eligible participants must be referred by a Job Services Australia (JSA) provider and have a notice of redundancy or separation certificate. Eligible participants can contact a JSA provider in their local area. The contact details of JSA providers can be found at the Jobsearch website or by calling the job seeker hotline on 13 62 68.

A JSA provider will discuss with the eligible participant what options are available for retraining in an industry or occupation of their choice. The JSA provider can refer the eligible participant only to a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that is currently contracted to deliver PPP qualifications.