Financial incentives to obtain cabling qualifications

An earlier BICSI column in ECD Solutions advised of changing Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) regulations requiring cablers to hold ‘competencies’ in specialist cabling activities such as structured cabling, optical fibre and coax cabling. These new requirements come into effect July 2014, so, many cablers around Australia have been looking into how to obtain these competencies through ACMA-approved training.

But the training doesn’t only have to be about compliance. In the process, you can also obtain further industry qualifications and generous government funding.

While training for these competencies is available on a ‘unit’ basis to be compliant to the new regulations, it can also be obtained in a bundle with other education units, resulting in a Certificate III in Telecommunications qualification. And when undertaken as a traineeship, the government provides funding for both employers and employees upon completion of the course.

But why is the government paying cablers to go back to school?  ‘Telecommunications Technician’ is a nationally under-resourced occupation and listed on the Australian Government’s National Skills Needs List (www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/national-skills-needs-list). Under the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program, an eligible trainee undertaking a Certificate III in Telecommunications course and obtaining the qualification that leads to becoming a Telecommunications Technician can receive a $5500 ‘Tools For Your Trade’ payment (applicable nationally).

At the same time, the employer will receive a $4000 ‘Support for Adult Australian Apprentices’ payment for each trainee (not applicable in WA, ACT or Tasmania), another $4000 for each trainee over 25 years of age (applicable nationally), plus a further $1000 ‘Rural and Regional Skills Shortage’ incentive if the company is situated in regional Australia.

The funding is available for both new and existing workers. Also, cablers who already have Open Registration and only need to complete the specialty cabling competencies can still receive the funding, if they enrol in the traineeship. Those with extensive cabling experience can apply for recognition for prior learning, reducing the length of their course content.

Conditions to receive funding are: must be Australian resident; must enrol in traineeship (not apprenticeship); must complete Certificate III course; must be employed by a company for a nominal 21 hours or more per week; funding not available to self-employed individuals; funding only available once - can’t get funding if you’ve already received funding for another course; can’t get funding if you have higher qualifications, eg, Certificate IV, diploma or degree; must be working in relevant industry.

Over the past year, BICSI has received hundreds of phone calls and emails from cablers asking for guidance on training for compliance, so it has collaborated with a nationwide specialist telecommunications registered training organisation (RTO) to produce the BICSI Certificate III in Telecommunications course.

The RTO has trained staff to assist cablers and guide them through the enrolment process and complete the traineeship documentation to secure the government financial incentives.

Over the past year, hundreds of cablers have qualified for and received the tax-exempt funding and many more are sure to do the same.

Contact BICSI to find out more about the course and the government funding.

www.bicsi.com.au