Tool Box
Issue No. 47 - June/ july
Federal subsidies take pain out of training
by Mr Shayne Bakewell
As businesses seek to reduce costs the training budget can become an obvious target. However, research shows companies who invest in employee skills training perform better in an economic downturn and are quicker to respond to the subsequent upturn.
“Investing now in building new skills will put businesses in the strongest position as the economy recovers,” says Louise Targett, who founded Target Training in Sydney in 1999.
“Our experience in previous downturns suggests it was the businesses which invested in their staff who saw the most dynamic recovery.”
I opened Target Training’s South Australian office in 2008, after a long career in retail and the travel sector. With my business management and retail background, I can see the present need for a focus on up-skilling staff. There is now a level of urgency due to the skills shortage issue that has hit our state more recently, so my focus will be on both new and existing employees wanting to formalise their skills and knowledge via business or retail-specific qualifications.
The Australian Government has made a strong commitment to building an adequately skilled workforce and offers to invest in companies to help make businesses productive and sound where employees are valued.
Many businesses are eligible to receive funding and staff can receive nationally recognised qualifications.
Target Training offers education such as Certificate II, III and IV in Retail and Certificate II, III and IV in Business, including Frontline Management and more.
Target Training’s course completion rate is more than 80%, the highest in our industry. Businesses can receive up to $4000 per person in government subsidies, so training is completely self funding. If six or more staff complete the course, employers will find they have surplus funds.
Why invest in staff training now?
1. Training motivates people and encourages them to remain with their employers. Just...
