Skills Stores
What are skills stores?
Skills stores are a Victorian Government service, designed to champion the uptake of recognised prior learning (RPL) by local registered training organisations (RTOs). They identify RPL options for mature-aged clientele, existing workers, work seekers and school leavers.
The aim is to encourage those out of the workforce to re-enter it without having to gain new qualifications for skills they already possess, saving time and money. Skills stores also encourage those not utilising their full skill potential to move to higher-skilled occupations should they wish to do so.
As well as assisting individuals, skills stores can also help businesses identify specific training options for employees which will assist to develop and expand the business. School careers advisers can also obtain training-related information from skills stores.
What are the benefits?
Skills stores and the RPL they provide are needed because Victorian businesses are facing increased demand for skilled employees due to:
- the continuing shift of Victorian industry towards higher-value-added production requiring higher levels of skills
- the ageing of the population, which is increasing the proportion of people who are not of working age
How is it funded?
The Skills Stores initiative represents an investment of $23.46 million over four years. The initiative was outlined in the 2006 Skills Statement, Maintaining the Advantage, and funding announced in the 2006-07 State Budget.
Each skills store receives a base funding allocation, plus a number of $250 grants (based on the number of people aged over 15 and not in study in its region) to assist clients with the cost of RPL at an RTO.
Funding will continue until 2010.
Where are the skills stores located?
There are thirteen skills stores located across the Victorian Skills Commission’s specified study areas, in both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Need more information?
For details on how skills stores operate from a client’s perspective see, Skills Stores on our public site.