The service industries include sport, fitness, recreation, tourism, hospitality and events, wholesale, retail, floristry, hairdressing, beauty, community pharmacy and funeral services.

The Enterprise Based Productivity Places Program (EBPPP), administered by eleven industry skills councils, subsidises funding for employees through courses from Certificate III to Diploma.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for employees in participating enterprises to increase their skill levels and gain further qualifications” said Jeanette Allen, CEO of Service Skills Australia.

“The service industries represent over one quarter of the Australian workforce and are a significant contributor to the economy. This program will assist enterprises to increase productivity and meet the demand for higher skills that is a feature of today's economy”.

“The high number of applications from the service industries is demonstrative of the need for skills development in the service industries, and the willingness of employers to invest in the skills and development of their staff”.

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relation's (DEEWR) contribution depends on the size of the business, with organisations with less than 100 employees receiving 90 per cent of their training costs, those with between 100 and 199 receiving 75 percent, and those with 200 or more employees receiving 50 per cent of their training costs.

In the first round of funding for EBPPP, a total of $40m was allocated delivering almost 11,000 new training places for high demand skills for existing workers. This is now being followed by this limited second round which will deliver an estimated further 2,700 training places before July this year.

The industry skills council for the service industries, Service Skills Australia, lodged ninety applications on behalf of service industry enterprises and associations, of which fifty eight projects, valued in excess of at $3.2million, have been approved for funding in the first round of enterprise-based training. 

Of the 1,020 places approved in the service industries, ninety six percent of learners are employed by small businesses.

“The service industries are largely made up of small to medium enterprises, and it is these businesses that face the most significant barriers to training their staff”.

“Service Skills Australia encourages the Government to continue funding this type of nationally co-ordinated skills development”.

For more information, please see the Minister's media release.

What is the EBPPP?
The objectives of the EBPPP are to provide opportunities for employees in participating enterprises to increase their skill levels and gain further qualifications. This will assist enterprises to increase productivity and meet the demand for higher skills that is a feature of today’s economy.

Industry Skills Councils (ISCs) play a crucial role in the implementation of the program. They work with a broad range of organisations and enterprises to identify the training needs of existing workers. The program will help meet those needs through provision of joint government and enterprise funded training for existing workers. The training will be at the Certificate III to Advanced Diploma level in a range of qualifications included in the Priority Occupations List.

National professional associations and industry bodies can access the EBPPP in the same manner as all other enterprises. However, it is envisaged that their role in this program would be to act as a link between smaller enterprises in order to enable sufficient training places to be made available to Registered Training Organisations. These bodies will still need to access the program though the ISC.

The program is a partnership between enterprises, the Industry Skills Council and the Australian Government. In that context, the Government will cover up to:

• 50 per cent of the cost for training places for existing workers for enterprises with over 200 employees, with the enterprises contributing the remaining 50 per cent,
• 75 per cent of the cost for training places for existing workers for enterprises with between 100 and 199 employees, with the enterprises contributing the remaining 25 per cent,
• 90 per cent of the cost for training places for existing workers for enterprises with less than 100 employees, with the enterprises contributing the remaining 10 per cent

Who is eligible to participate in the Program?
Organisations eligible to participate in the Program include:

• national enterprises
• enterprises and businesses that operate across a number of states/territories
• small and medium enterprises
• national professional associations and industry bodies.

What is the timeframe for the program?
The EBPPP commenced in November 2009 and will extend until 15 May 2010. Enterprises apply directly to the relevant Industry Skills Council for participation in the program. For more information on how to apply for EBPPP, please contact your relevant Industry Skills Council.