Skills for Growth is a strategic planning and workforce development program run by the Government of Victoria that provides small and medium businesses in the State of Victoria with free access to skilled business consultants and to employee training opportunities. The goal of the program is to help small and medium business owners achieve greater levels of near-term and long-term success by mapping out their business' key goals and priorities and evaluating - and closing - capability gaps in their workforce.

1. Skills for Growth An Essential Guide to the Victorian Government’s Skills for Growth: the Workforce Development Plan

2. Skills for Growth Overview Workforce planning and development program funded by the Government of Victoria Provides small and medium businesses with free access to skilled business consultants and training opportunities

3. Key Benefits of Skills for Growth Superior business performance and productivity Increased workforce efficiency and effectiveness Enhanced capacity for innovation Expanded range of employee capabilities Reduced overall costs

4. Skills for Growth Rationale Small and medium businesses are key drivers of Victoria’s economic engine Make up more than 90% of all businesses in Victoria Employ nearly one million Victorians As a result, Victorian Government committed $52 million to Skills for Growth

5. Skills for Growth Process Businesses register at business.vic.gov.au/skillsforgrowth and select the Service Provider that best suits their needs (there are 25 from which to choose) Service Provider assigns an independent workforce planning and training Specialist to contact and meet with the business’ owner or manager

6. Specialists’ Qualifications Completion of a Training and Assessment (TAA) course Completion of an accredited course on Assess Informal Learning (AIL) Prerequisite for which is the completion of several units of Certificate IV

7. Skills for Growth Timeline – Phase I Completion of a high-level business analysis that looks at the strategic direction of the business Assessment of the skills and training needs of employees Development of a Workforce Training and Action Plan that identifies business and employee skills needs and recommends referrals to relevant training programs and learning opportunities

8. Skills for Growth Timeline – Phase II Facilitation of staff placement into training with an accredited training organisation Completion of a follow-up review after staff have completed training - or have undergone at least three months of training - and of a Skills for Growth report which must be reviewed and approved by the business

9. Victorian Training Guarantee Phase II must be funded by the participating business VTG Offers substantial subsidies for placements in recognized vocational training courses Eligibility is determined by a number of different factors - including: age, educational background, citizenship, and residency status

10. Skills for Growth Eligibility Open to all Victoria-based small and medium businesses that: Employ between 1 to 200 staff Have been in operation for at least 12 months Be financially viable (effective trading history and ability to meet debts when they fall due)

11. Skills for Growth Key Statistics As of the end of January 2010 1,648 businesses had registered for the Skills for Growth program 667 workforce action plans had been approved by businesses 17,934 employee training plans had been approved by businesses 10,488 approved training plans were eligible for the Victorian Training Guarantee

12. About Dawson Barber Formerly with Drake Australia: National Sales and Marketing Manager National Business Solutions Manager Executive Committee Member Formerly with Drake International: Vice President of Sales Force Effectiveness http://optimizemyworkforce.com