Industry sectors across Australia are taking a long term view of building the skills of their people by embedding elearning into workforce development.

Preliminary funding of approximately $600,000 has been allocated to Australian industry groups and businesses to integrate elearning into their workforce training plans and practices.

Five industry sectors – including stainless steel, medical technology, dairy, water and independent supermarket and liquor – have each received $100,000 this year with future funding of $100,000 earmarked for each industry sector over the next two years.

The three-year vision of this funding is designed to bring about long-term and sustainable advances to elearning in each industry sector.

In addition, Aged and Community Services Australia will receive funding of $50,000 for a one-year industry sector project to develop a strategic workforce development plan incorporating elearning for the aged care sector.

A business cluster associated with the fertiliser industry has received a one-year grant of $48,900 for elearning solutions that will be trialled with two major employers.

Industry Integration of Elearning business manager Jenny Dodd said the selected projects demonstrated the variety of industries that could benefit from incorporating elearning into the delivery of workplace training and development.

Ms Dodd added there had been significant industry interest in developing elearning solutions.

“Our panel received 26 applications, including 22 expressions of interest from industry sectors,” she said. “This was a larger number than expected.

“More industries are beginning to see what elearning has to offer. Staff benefit from consistent, quality training which can be accessed at any time or place while businesses benefit from competent, confident staff.”