About the program

Skills Solutions Partnerships provides a platform for industry to co-design training that meets their needs with TAFEs and Victorian dual sector universities.

The program is designed to encourage collaboration between industry and education providers to quickly address skills gaps through industry-responsive short courses.

The co-designed short training will:

• aim to upskill, re-skill or develop new workers
• include an on-the-job learning model (such as a placement or work-integrated learning component) to support training participants’ employment and/or progression outcomes
• be a new training solution, or an innovative new approach to an existing course where the current offering is not adequately meeting employer or training participants’ needs.

What you get

Supported EOIs will undertake a co-design process to support project partners to agree on the required training solution. The type of co-design will depend on the project needs and may range from meetings or roundtables or matching a co-design facilitator to the project partners.

All costs associated with the co-design stage will be fully funded by the department.

At the conclusion of the co-design, the co-design facilitator will produce a report outlining the project partners’ mutually agreed training solution.

Projects identified by the department as being suitable for Skills Solutions Partnerships funding as the most appropriate pathway, will then be invited to submit a grant application for funding of to up to $1.2 million to develop, deliver and evaluate the pilot.

Grant funding will be provided on the basis that the lead applicant and partners provide a co-contribution equal to the funding being applied for (1:1 co-funding ratio). This can be made up of cash and/or in-kind contributions.

Eligibility criteria

Lead applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply:

• is a legal entity with an operating presence in Victoria
• has a current Australian Business Number (ABN) and held that ABN on and from 1 January 2023
• has been registered for Goods and Services Tax (GST) on and from 1 January 2023
• is one of the following:
  • a dual sector university or TAFE headquartered in Victoria (and subject to the Education and Training Reform Act 2006); or
  • a business industry group or professional association that has a direct role in supporting businesses in one of the eligible industry sectors in Victoria (as determined by the department); or
  • a business leading on behalf of a group of businesses (such as a business with a large supply chain looking for joint training, or a business acting on behalf of a business network) located in Victoria; and
• has met all industrial relations obligations as an employer in accordance with the National Employment Standards.

Project and partnership requirements

Lead applicants are encouraged to collaborate with other businesses. Partnerships comprising multiple businesses or those convened by an industry association are encouraged to ensure broader impact across the relevant industry sector.

EOIs must demonstrate how the lead applicant and project partners will work together to maximise the impact of the co-design and develop and deliver the pilot project (should it be required), and how the pilot project will meet the Skills Solutions Partnerships program objectives.

Program guidelines

Skills Solutions Partnerships – Program guidelines (PDF 230.51 KB)

Skills Solutions Partnerships – Program guidelines (DOCX 195.24 KB)

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Read the full list of FAQs

Further information

To discuss your project ideas, email the Skills Solutions Partnerships program team at skillssolutions@ecodev.vic.gov.au.

Expressions of Interests (EOIs) open at 9:00am (AEDT) on 21 November 2023 and will close at 11:59pm (AEDT) on 15 March 2024 (unless funds are allocated earlier).