- The Productivity Places Program is a great way to improve your skills so you can find employment.
- The Program provides new training places in skills and occupations employers are seeking and is designed to help you secure long term employment.
- The Program is part of the Australian Government’s Skilling Australia for the future initiative.
- The training will be delivered by training organisations in your local area.
- You can gain a new qualification or upgrade an existing qualification. Initially qualifications were offered at the Certificate II and Certificate III level. From 1 July 2008, higher level qualifications became available at Certificate IV and Diploma levels. Advanced Diplomas are also available for the existing worker component of the program only.
- Training places are available for both job seekers and existing workers
Training will only be available in industries experiencing skill shortages. The full list of occupations and related qualifications that can be offered by training organisations under the program are listed in the Priority Occupations List. PDF 
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The duration, timing and location for training will depend on what qualification you choose. If you are registered with an employment service provider, you need to talk to your case manager about what qualifications are on offer and the type of training most suitable for you.
You can search for the qualifications or training organisations that are currently available. If you cannot find the qualification you searched for, it may be because no training organisations are offering that qualification yet. In this case, you should search again later, as more training organisations are becoming involved with the program every week.
Due to strong demand, the total allocation of job seeker training places for Phase I and Phase II have now 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.
The additional 15 000 training places will be available to a smaller cohort via referral from Employment Service Providers, Australian Apprenticeship Access Providers and Community Development Employment Projects participants to approved Registered Training Organisations.
More training places at the Certificate II, Certificate IV and Diploma level will be available for job seekers from 1 July 2009.
Pilots for delivery of the existing workers training places are now available through some State Governments. Please find more information regarding exisiting worker places via your State Government (link below):
Links to other State and Territory Government websites for the Productivity Places Program will be available once negotiations are finalised.
If you are a job seeker, the Australian Government will fully fund training under the Program.
If you are an existing worker, funding will be jointly provided from your State or Territory Government (40 per cent) and the Australian Government (50 per cent). It is envisaged that employers will contribute the remaining 10 per cent of employee training costs.
To be eligible for a job seeker training place, you need to be currently looking for work. You also need to be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia and be over the age of 15. Some other eligibility criteria apply, this is available from your local training organisation or employment service provider.
You also need to be assessed by your employment service provider or training organisation as having capacity to benefit from the training.
Please note, full-time students and people who are self employed are not eligible for the program.
To find out if you are eligible to apply for an existing worker training place, you will need to talk to your employer and the relevant State or Territory Government, and a registered training organisation approved to deliver the training.
Please note that due to strong demand, the total allocation of job seeker training places for Phase I and Phase II have now been fully utilised. More training places will be available to job seekers from 1 July 2009.
From 10 September 2008 to 30 June 2009 an additional 15 000 job seeker training places have been made available to people who are registered with an Employment Service Provider an Australian Apprenticeships Access Provider, or who are Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) participants.
If you are registered with an employment service provider, such as Job Network member or Disability Employment Network, you need to contact your employment consultant to discuss your interest and obtain a referral to a training organisation.
If you are not registered with an employment service provider, you need to apply directly to a participating training organisation. When these places become available, you need to:
- search and choose a training provider from the list; and
- contact your chosen training organisation and discuss your interest in the program.
If you are an Australian Apprentice, you will need to contact your Australian Apprenticeships Centre for a referral to a training organisation.
If you are a CDEP participant, you will need to get a referral letter from your CDEP manager or supervisor.
If you are an Existing Worker you will need to contact your State or Territory Government.
For information on job seeker training places or general information on the Productivity Places Program:
Call 13 38 73
Email productivityplaces@deewr.gov.au
Fax (02) 6123 5952
For information on existing worker training places please contact your State or Territory Government:
South Australia 
Tasmania
Western Australia
Links to other State and Territory Government websites for the Productivity Places Program will be available soon.