JULY 17, 2015: A CANNONVALE business will be able to invest in training their staff thanks to a $9000 Federal Government Industry Skills Fund (ISF) grant, announced by the Assistant Minister for Education and Training, Senator Simon Birmingham.I caught up with Paul Carmichael, right, the owner of Airlie Glass and Aluminium, today to congratulate him as well as his staff Kevin Scott and Cathy Reents.Paul's business will benefit from more than $9,000 through the Government’s ISF which will support staff members in completing a Certificate IV in Glass and Glazing.Airlie Glass and Aluminium is expanding into the commercial sector through the manufacture and installation of commercial windows, doors and shopfronts on a larger scale.They also specialise in providing design, customisation and planning solutions for challenging projects.By investing into their staff they will boost productivity, and in turn the local economy and I encourage other businesses in the region to apply for support to boost the skills of their workforce under the Abbott Government’s new $664 million ISF.To find out more visit: www.business.gov.au/industryskillsfund or call 13 28 46.[box style="1 or 2"]The ISF will provide up to 250,000 training places and support services across Australia.Senator Birmingham said the ISF supports small and medium sized businesses that need to upskill or retrain their workers so their business can diversify or take advantage of new market opportunities. Larger businesses can also apply.“Free skills advice is also available for small and medium businesses,” he said.“Experienced advisers will work with eligible businesses to help them understand growth opportunities and to identify skills they need to increase their competitiveness and the training provider they want to work with.“With better trained employees, Australian business will be positioned to diversify into new markets, adopt new technologies, enter export markets and create more jobs,” Senator Birmingham said.Under the ISF, businesses are required to make a contribution to the cost of training, with the Government covering the rest of the cost. The co-contribution rate depends on the number of employees, with smaller businesses receiving higher levels of support.[/box]