Training bid for over-25s
The Age
Thursday July 2, 2009
WORKERS aged over 25 who lose their jobs because of the economic slowdown will be guaranteed a training place under changes expected to be endorsed today by political leaders.A meeting of the Council of Australian Governments in Darwin is expected to extend a federal-state training and education "compact" for young people to the over-25s.The agreement is expected to result in retrenched workers being offered initial support via Canberra's employment services network. State governments will then prioritise training places to allow completion of a vocational education and training qualification.The talks will also canvass new policy measures "closing the gap" of indigenous disadvantage - an issue expected to dominate the first COAG meeting in the Northern Territory in more than a decade.Following violent attacks on Indian students in Melbourne, COAG is also expected to back a new foreign student strategy. -- KATHARINE MURPHY
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