The Federal Government is providing additional assistance to older Australian workers with a $11.6 million investment to extend the Skills and Training Incentive for eligible people.

Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, said the Skills and Training Incentive provides individuals aged 45-70, who have completed a tailored Skills Checkpoint assessment, with funding of up to $2,200 to invest in training linked to their current job, a future opportunity, or an industry/skill in demand.

“You can’t buy lived experience and it’s that expertise of older Australians workers that’s needed right now in rural and regional areas,” Mr Joyce said.

“This extension of the Skills and Training Incentive will assist eligible workers to build and acquire new skills, helping them to further participate in our local workforce, growing the New England and our economy.”

Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, said extending the Incentives program to 30 June 2022 is part of the Government’s commitment to ensure mature aged people, particularly those impacted by the COVID-19, have better options for remaining in the workforce longer.

“The Australian Government recognises the experience and knowledge that comes with mature aged workers,” Minister Cash said.

“They will play a key part in Australia’s skills led recovery from COVID-19 because they possess a lifetime of skills that can be redeployed or built upon to transfer to new work and careers.”

The additional investment in the Skills and Training Incentive will provide up to 5,400 Incentives for eligible mature aged Australians. This builds on the $19.3 million allocated as part of the 2018–19 Federal Budget’s More Choices for a Longer Life package, which funded the initial allocation of Incentives.

The extension to the Skills and Training Incentive builds on other Government skills and training assistance for mature age job seekers and workers.

For more information on the Skills and Training Incentives, visit: dese.gov.au/skills-and-training-incentive

For more information on skills and training assistance for mature age job seekers and workers, visit: dese.gov.au/skills-and-training/skills-support-45-years-and-older

(ENDS)