Page 311 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 February 2016

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(2) The ACT Government is committed to providing a range of volunteering and employment options for seniors including promoting training and/or re-skilling options for mature aged workers. On 19 November 2015, I tabled the ACT Active Ageing Framework 2015 – 2018 and associated Action Plan, which aims to facilitate opportunities for ACT Government directorates and the private sector to recognise and support mature age workers in gaining employment.

Projects which assist mature aged workers (aged 50 plus) to access programs and services that increase their ability to find work, re-skill and ensure that they remain active and productive members in our community, were identified as a priority area for projects to be funded under both the 2015 – 2016 Participation (Seniors) and Participation (Multicultural) Grants programs. These grants are being actively encouraged throughout the ACT community.

(3) Subsidised vocational education and training (VET) in the ACT, through the Australian Apprenticeships and Skilled Capital programs, is available for residents aged 15 years and over. The ACT Adult Community Education Grants Program subsidises community-based learning projects conducted in the ACT for residents aged 18 and over. The Canberra Institute of Technology does not impose an upper age limit for access to its range of subsidised training.

(a) The total funding allocation to support Australian Apprenticeships, Skilled Capital and the Adult Community Education Grants Program in 2015-16 is just over $20m annually. The budget appropriation for the Canberra Institute of Technology is approximately $69m.

(b) The strategic and accountability indicators relevant to these training programs are reported in the Budget papers. None of these programs have measures specific to people over the age of 65. Under the National Partnership Agreement for Skills Reform, the ACT has a training outcome target for qualification completions by mature aged workers of 912 additional qualification completions above agreed baseline. The ACT is on track to achieve this target. Note the definition of mature age worker for this target refers to individual aged 40 and over, not only those over 65 years of age.

(4) The total funding allocations for subsidised VET training initiatives in the ACT remained largely unchanged during 2014-15 and 2015-16. The budget appropriate to the Canberra Institute of Technology increased by approximately $0.5m from 2014-15 to 2015-16.

Aged persons—housing
(Question No 563)

Mr Doszpot asked the Minister for Ageing, upon notice, on 19 November 2015:

(1) What planning, in relation to housing, is the Government engaged in to address the needs of the ACT’s ageing population.

(2) What strategies are being assessed to ensure that there is adequate access to appropriate and affordable housing in the ACT for the ageing in the future.


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