The Regional and Industry Partnerships Program supports the operation of the Spencer Gulf Jobs and Skills Hub and is part of the State Government package to support South Australian workers and businesses in Whyalla and the wider Upper Spencer Gulf region.

Grants will be available to support place-based and place-focused solutions to workforce opportunities and challenges in the region, driven by regional employers and key organisations or networks in partnership with the South Australian government.

Objectives

• The program has three core objectives:
  • Connecting workers with employment: creating opportunities to connect workers and job seekers with employment, including supporting workers who have lost their jobs at the Whyalla Steelworks, mines or in the supply chain into new roles.
  • Improving workforce outcomes for disengaged and disadvantaged people: ensuring everyone benefits from the growth and new opportunities in the region, with a particular focus on supporting long-term unemployed, Aboriginal people, and young people in the region.
  • Building the workforce in priority sectors: supporting workforce planning and development to ensure the region and its workforce is ready and has the right skills to take advantage of opportunities in mining, green iron, steelmaking, construction, manufacturing and renewable energy, and respond to growth in sectors such as health care and social assistance.

Funding information

• Total grant funding of up to $2 million (excluding GST) is available for round one.
• Maximum project duration is 24 months.

Eligible Activities

• The types of activities that can be funded through the Regional and Industry Partnerships Program include:
  • Job matching functions, including services and platforms
  • Building job-ready experience of workers
  • Wrap around supports (eg mentoring and pastoral care)
  • Career advice services
  • Work readiness and work hardening programs
  • Programs and supports tailored to address specific needs of disengaged people
  • Innovative business practices to improve development and retention of staff
  • Workforce planning for small and medium businesses
  • Supply-chain wide workforce planning for multiple businesses, which can be driven or supported by a larger business in the supply chain.
  • Non-accredited training
  • Occupational tickets and licenses
  • New models of training connected to employment pathways
  • Professional development programs for businesses and workers
  • Workforce and employment events
  • Internships, cadetships and scholarships that connect graduates and students to industry and employment opportunities.

Ineligible Activities

• Project activities that the Regional and Industry Partnerships Program will generally not fund include:
  • Substitution of existing industry funded programs, recruitment costs or other services.
  • Project activities that can be funded through existing state or Commonwealth programs, projects or initiatives.
  • Employer specific training that is not transferrable to wider industry.
  • Legislative or regulatory activity that is the responsibility of employers.
  • Activities that commence prior to execution of the contract.
  • Costs of catering and alcohol.
  • Purchase of capital equipment.
  • Core business operations or business as usual activities.
  • Any activities not directly and wholly related to the delivery of services under this program.
  • Any other costs as determined by the Department.

Eligibility Criteria

• Local partners are the focus of the Regional and Industry Partnerships Program, including through:
  • Employer partnerships, which focuses on projects led by employers in partnership with the State Government
  • Network and system partnerships, which focuses on projects led by organisations or collectives of organisations in the region (which may include employers) and the State Government.
• The workforce (or prospective workforce) targeted through proposals must have Australian residency or citizenship status, be on a state or employer sponsored visa and/or pathway to permanent residency, or be temporary skilled migrants working in a priority sector.
• Applications will be considered from organisations that are a legal entity established in Australia, have their principal place of business registered at a place within the Upper Spencer Gulf region and hold an active Australian Business Number (ABN).
• This can include:
  • South Australian businesses
  • Industry bodies
  • Not-for-profit organisations
  • Aboriginal corporations
  • Regional development authorities.
  • Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and state and local government agencies are not eligible to apply for funding directly, however are encouraged to partner with business and industry to develop proposals and support delivery.
  • Applications from industry and employers, or as part of a partnership arrangement with industry or employers, will be prioritised.

For more information, visit DSD.