The Hodgman Liberal Government has been in regular contact with training organisation TOOL to better understand how we can assist them with the financial difficulties they have informed us about.
The Government has made a significant commitment to TOOL of $980,000 over four years to extend the program to include hospitality and horticulture, and to assist young people to return to school, or access employment and traineeships.
We are aware of issues that TOOL is experiencing and have been in frequent discussions with them to determine how we can assist.
Government representatives yesterday had a very productive meeting with the Chair of TOOL’s board, Mike Frost. Mr Frost has indicated that he is appreciative of the Government’s ongoing commitment and efforts to assist TOOL to address their current issues.
The Tasmanian Government also has a number of competitive funding programs for training organisations which can offer job-specific training to Tasmanians.
Contracts for the first round of the Skills Fund competitive funding program are in the final stages of being finalised. This is a highly competitive funding program with more than 260 applications for funding to provide job-specific training for Tasmanians. Approximately $6.5 million is available in the first round and there will be further rounds of offers later in the year, with one open for tender later this month.
The Government has already outlined that 26 of 26 Tasmanian RTOs which applied for competitive funding through the User Choice Fund were successful.
In addition to competitive skills funding open to all endorsed RTOs, the Liberal Government has made a very specific commitment to provide $980,000 in direct support to TOOL for programs. Labor has offered no such support.
Matthew Groom, Minister for State Growth
