The NSW Department of Industry has announced a “NSW Adult and Community Education (ACE) Infrastructure Maintenance Grants Program” that will support the maintenance and refurbishment of ACE physical premises. One-off grant payments for the 2019-2020 financial year will be made to ACE providers to enhance facilities and support the delivery of vocational education and training (VET) to priority communities and students.
The Program’s official guidelines, sent to NSW ACE Community Service Obligation (CSO) providers earlier this week note:
“ACE providers offer a valuable service for VET delivery in NSW. The Department of Industry, through its Training Services NSW branch, provides dedicated funding to not for profit ACE providers in recognition of the services they deliver to disadvantaged students, communities or regions.
“The NSW Government is making a total of up to $2.3 million available to help ACE providers meet the cost of infrastructure maintenance and development for physical premises. This is one-off funding for the 2019-20 financial year.
“The Department recognises that ACE providers rely on a range of different building types to deliver services, including ageing buildings that require maintenance and modernising.
“By supporting the maintenance and refurbishment of ACE physical premises, the program aims to:
- increase the capacity of ACE providers to deliver relevant training to individuals to improve their employability, literacy and numeracy skills; and
- facilitate ACE providers’ expansion into accredited VET delivery and/or ability to provide improved pathways into VET.”
Up to $71,875 per eligible applicant (excluding GST) is available under this program.
Community Colleges Australia comment:
Community Colleges Australia thanks the NSW Government, in particular the Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education, the Hon Dr Geoff Lee, as well as the Deputy Premier, the Hon John Barilaro, for this funding commitment and their support.
“This important funding commitment recognises the valuable role that NSW community education providers play in reaching some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged students around the state. CCA’s research shows that this infrastructure maintenance program will re-pay its investment many times over, in terms of building the capacity of not-for-profit NSW community education and training providers to do their jobs well,” said Dr Don Perlgut, CEO of Community Colleges Australia.
“CCA looks forward to working with the NSW Government to ensure that this program is a great success. We are keen to show the value of the program, and will encourage the NSW Government to continue infrastructure maintenance support in future years,” said Dr Perlgut.
Key document: CCA's infrastructure maintenance Submission to the NSW Deputy Premier, 21 May 2018
(Note: Training Services NSW will move to the NSW Department of Education on 1 July 2019.)
