Deputy Prime Minister Announces Additional allocation of Training Places under the Productivity Places Program - Media Release 
Since April 2008 demand for training places for the job seeker component of the Program has been very strong with almost 48 000 enrolments under the Program at 8 September 2008. This is a great result for a Program that has been going for less than six months.
By 10 September 2008, more than 36 200 participants had commenced in training with over 6 000 participants having already completed training and available to take up jobs in areas of skill shortage such as Aged Care, Children’s Services, Security, Hospitality, Retail, Transport and Logistics and Customer Contact.
Due to this strong demand, the total allocation of job seeker training places for Phase I and Phase II have been fully utilised. In order to ensure training places remain available for the remainder of 2008-09, the Government has announced an additional 15 000 job seeker training places at Certificate III level. These places became available from 11 September 2008.
To ensure these places are targeted to those in most need, the additional training places will be available to a smaller cohort via referral from Employment Service Providers, Access Providers and Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) participants to approved Registered Training Organisations.
In order to ensure training places remain available to 30 June 2009, the additional training places are being allocated in the Program Information Management System (PIMS) on a monthly basis by State and Territory, based on working age population.
Information for organisations wanting to deliver training
| The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) is seeking submissions from Registered Training Organisations wishing to participate in the second phase of the Productivity Places Program training places from 1 July 2008. |
Productivity Places Program Fact Sheet 
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As part of its Skilling Australia for the future initiative, the government recognises the importance of nationally endorsed training in assisting job seekers to acquire skills and gain lasting employment and assisting existing workers to update or upgrade their skills.
The government has allocated 645 000 training places over five years to ensure that Australians develop the skills that industry needs. Of the total training places, 253 000 will be allocated to job seekers and 392 000 will be allocated to existing workers.
The training places will be delivered in an industry-driven system, ensuring that training is more responsive to the needs of enterprises and individuals.
The job seeker training places became available from 1 April 2008. Existing worker training places are now available through pilots in some States. These pilots will run to 31 December 2008 or until places are fully utilised. It is anticipated that training places for existing workers will be delivered through States and Territory Government's from 1 January 2009.
More information will be provided on the arrangements for Productivity Places for job seekers and existing workers in the near future.
Organisations wishing to offer approved qualifications under the Productivity Places Program must be able to meet the requirements of the program and submit a Request to Participate. Submissions to offer qualifications to job seekers at Certificate II through to Diploma level can be made through the online system.
Information for people looking for training
If you are looking for training, information on how to apply and details of the eligible qualifications will be updated as it becomes available.