The funding is part of the $200 million Critical Skills Investment Fund, which will help train new workers and up-skill existing workers.

“The projects will support training for more than 7500 workers from small, medium and large businesses, including more than 1500 new workers in the critical industry sectors of resources, construction, infrastructure and renewable energy,” Evans said.

“Almost half this training will be in regional Australia, including almost 1000 training places in remote locations.”

While a list of projects wasn’t available at the time of publication, Evans said it included training for frontline management jobs and specialist roles in mining and civil construction, training for mining and quarrying employees and training for new and existing workers in rail operations to support resources projects.

The successful projects are worth more than $41 million, including government and industry contributions.

“Working in partnership with industry is the best way to target our training investment and puts industry at the heart of the training process,” Senator Evans said.

“Together we can boost workforce participation and meet the demand for skilled labour.”

Industry employer group AMMA has welcomed the funding announcement.

“The critical skills funding program requires co-contributions from the industry and provides support and training services to these members who, due to their size, may not have had the opportunity to implement this level of workforce development and training,” AMMA director Minna Knight said.

“Skills development programs for smaller employers can often be more viable and effective when working as a group and AMMA has collaboratively brought these stakeholders together.

In one of three projects undertaken by AMMA with the CSIF , a consortium of five mining operators –Doral Mineral Sands, Doral Fused, Leighton Construction Training Centre, HWE Iron Ore and Uranium One Australia – have banded together to access training resources that are difficult to secure on their own.

“In this case, training is mainly being delivered at supervisory level to develop leadership capability and enhanced productivity in the resource sector,” Knight said,

“It will strengthen the operational management and productivity of numerous smaller resource companies that contribute so valuably to our national economy.”

AMMA will also assist with training for workers with Onslow Salt and Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines.

The group, which is a registered training organisation, will conduct courses in Certificate IV Training and Assessment, Certificate IV Frontline Management, Certificate IV in Occupational Health and Safety, Diploma in OHS and other resources-specific qualifications.

“All of our training operations fall in line with government strategies for regional workforce development and exercise the priorities put forward by the National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce,” Knight said.

“We are also implementing strategies for key priority groups, such as increasing the number of women, indigenous and ageing workers engaged in the resources sector.”

Coal-friendly CSIF projects

In an opportunity for Queensland enterprises linked to resource and construction industries, the Australian Manufacturing Technology Institute is the lead organisation of a project to train up to 300 new and existing workers in a Certificate III up to a Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing.

Queensland’s MISC is leading a CSIF project to up-skill up to 60 existing workers in nationally-recognised occupational health and safety qualifications.

In a Central Queensland-based CSIF project, SkillsDMC will train 10 new workers and up-skill nearly 30 existing workers in drilling, training and assessment.

In New South Wales, Invincible Colliery operator Coalpac will train 28 existing and 12 new workers in a Certificate II to IV in Surface Extraction and Drilling under its CSIF project “Cleanskin”