Joint Group Training Program

The Joint Group Training Program provides matched Australian, State and Territory Government funding which is administered through the State and Territory Governments according to the national funding principles agreed by both the Australian Government and State and Territory Governments.

The seven principles of the Joint Group Training Program are:

1. Organisations that meet the National Standards for Group Training Organisations would be eligible to apply to the State or Territory Authority for Joint Group Training Program funding.
2. Targeted outcomes, not necessarily all outcomes, will be determined by each State or Territory within one or more of the following four nationally agreed priority areas:
   
   
• skills needs (e.g. in emerging or restructuring industries, in skill shortage areas, in traditional trades, and in higher level skills); 
• disadvantaged groups (e.g. Indigenous Australians, people in non-traditional trades, people with disabilities, out-of-trade Australian Apprentices, people from non-English speaking backgrounds, unemployed adults 45 and over, youth at risk); 
• rural and remote areas (as identified by individual State or Territory Training Authorities); and 
• local community needs (e.g. developing new, sustainable employment markets in communities under pressure, particularly in rural and regional Australia, Australian School-based Apprenticeships).
  
  
3. Funding will be allocated annually, under the Joint Group Training Program on the basis of each State and Territory's funding plan, which is updated annually, following a national consultation process and forwarded to DEEWR to trigger payment of matched funding.
4. The funding arrangements that apply at the commencement of the employment of the Australian Apprentice will remain in place for the duration of the Training Contract.
5. Price will be determined by the State or Territory Training Authority and could include different rates to reflect the level of priority of the outcomes.
6. Scheduling of payments under the Joint Group Training Program is determined by the State and Territory Training Authority in a way that encourages completion of the Training Contract.
7. Matched funding between State or Territory Training Authorities and DEEWR will be maintained within agreed budget capacity.

Please note that any Australian Apprentice recruited through the Joint Group Training Program cannot be claimed under the Group Training in the Trades Program or the Group Training Australian Apprenticeships Targeted Initiatives Program.