Skills Checkpoint for Older Workers Program
and Skills and Training Incentive

Support for older workers? 

The Skills Checkpoint and Incentive are government initiatives to support older workers to improve their skills so they can adapt to changes in industries and occupations and stay in the workforce longer. 

These initiatives will help employees to build skills and plan the next stage of their job or career. It helps both individuals and businesses to better prepare and adapt to changes in the economy.

What is the Incentive? 

The Incentive provides up to $2,200 (GST inclusive) to fund training opportunities linked to an individual’s current job (e.g. upgrading skills), a future job opportunity, or an industry, occupation or skill in demand. 

The Governments contribution is 50% of training course costs, up to a maximum of $2,200 and can be used for multiple courses, such as Remote PIlots Licence (RePL), Remote Operators Certificate (ReOC) and/or Aeronautical Radio Operators Certificate (AROC)

What is the Skills Checkpoint? 

The Skills Checkpoint assesses older worker's skill levels and provides advice on how they can upgrade their skills for their current job or identify skills they may need for future jobs. 

In industries and occupations in decline or going through fundamental changes, the Skills Checkpoint provides advice to workers who are facing redundancy on how to use their existing skills to gain new jobs or help them identify the skills and training needed to change careers.

Can my employer contribute to funding? 

Yes.  Businesses and the skills they require change over time, to recognise this, the government is seeking to co-invest with employers in their ongoing workforce development. 

The Incentive provides an opportunity for employers to update the skills of their older workers, increasing their productivity. 

To retain and develop staff, businesses need to invest in training and reskilling. The Incentive provides an opportunity for employers to reduce the costs of updating the skills of their older workers and ensure their business is better able to adapt to change. 

Can the Incentive be paid directly to my employer?

No.  The Incentive is paid directly to the training provide,  SUASROV. 

The contribution, whether from the employer or the individual, must be paid to the Skills Checkpoint provider. The Skills Checkpoint provider then adds this to the government’s contribution and makes a single payment to SUASROV.  

What services can participants expect? 

Skills Checkpoint providers will deliver the assessments and develop a Career Plan to identify: 

• skills they could develop or enhance to increase their capacity to perform their 

current role, or 

• gaps in their skills to undertake a new role with their current employer or transition to a new career. 

Where relevant, the Career Plan may also provide advice on potential new industries or roles where there may be job opportunities, possible options for the future, including referrals to relevant education or training courses. 

Who is eligible? 

To access the Skills Checkpoint, individuals must be: 

• an Australian Citizen or permanent resident 

• aged 45 to 70 

• currently employed and at risk of entering the income support system or 

• unemployed within the last nine months and not registered with an employment services provider. 

To access the Incentive, an individual must first complete a Skills Checkpoint assessment that identifies training linked to their career plan.