Community Colleges Australia (CCA) has proposed that the NSW Government establish an “ACE Coronavirus Response Innovation Fund” that will help NSW adult and community education (ACE) providers skill and train people so they can get back to work when the COVID-19 crisis is all over.
The targeted program outlines activities that CCA’s members can undertake right now. It will ensure NSW ACE providers can continue to train and skill their students, support their communities and employ their staff, both during the crisis and the recovery phases of the Coronavirus emergency.
The request seeks $250,000 per CCA member to keep the state’s learners skilled and job ready. Read the submission Executive Summary here.
The submission also requests the NSW Government to extend free “Skills for Business” courses to ACE providers. CCA also seeks a renewal of the current infrastructure maintenance funding in 2020/21, to prepare our facilities and campuses to be in great shape when our students return.
Comment by Dr Don Perlgut, CEO of Community Colleges Australia
“NSW ACE providers supply essential education and training to the state’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged learners and communities. They over-perform in engaging people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, people with disabilities, Indigenous Australians, regional and rural residents and older (45-plus) Australians. Our members also receive great outcomes in moving people from unemployment to employment, and in training satisfaction.
“NSW members constitute a state-wide network of more than 33 not-for-profit community-based training organisations that provide employment to more than 3000 staff and enrol more than 140,000 learners each year.
“CCA has requested NSW Government assistance to help us survive now so we can thrive and help others in a post-coronavirus world.”
