MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
I am pleased to announce the Australian Government will make a further
substantial commitment to the delivery of a wide range of specialised skills
training courses for the Indonesian people.
I have approved the commitment of $62.5 million for a third, five-year phase
of the Indonesia Australia Specialised Training Project (IASTP)
(2004-2009). Around two-thirds of this will be for governance-related
training in areas such as economic management, public sector accountability and
capacity building at district level to improve delivery of basic services.
The IASTP uses Australian and Indonesian training providers to deliver
specialised courses tailored for the Indonesian context. Trainees are
encouraged and supported in promoting their skills in their workplaces, and
mentors are used to enhance sustainability.
IASTP has been highly successful in addressing skills gaps in Indonesian
government, private and community sectors.
Phase Two of IASTP (1998-2004), for example, is delivering more than 750
courses to some 15,000 people from a wide range of Indonesian
institutions.
Significantly, the IASTP is structured to provide flexibility, which enables
us to respond to emerging priorities, such as assistance to Bali's health
system.
Training programs are conducted mainly in Indonesia and are designed in
close consultation with Indonesian government agencies.
The success of the IASTP model has become widely known in Indonesia and
other major donors have expressed interest in adopting key features of the
Australian program in designing their own training programs.
Contacts:
Chris Kenny (Minister's office) (02) 6277 7500 or 0419 206 890
Jo Elsom (AusAID) (02) 6206 4960 or 0412 804 489