Childcare is one of a number of industries covered under the Productivity Places Program, introduced July 1 this year, part of the Skilling Australia for the Future initiative.

The Productivity Places Program is designed to ease the skills shortage in key industries by providing fully-funded training to eligible job-seekers.

In South Australia, Enhance Training is registered to provide Certificate III training for nannies and childcare workers.

Managing director of Enhance Training, Tanya Cole, said the program was a significant incentive for those seeking careers in childcare.

"It is no secret that South Australia's childcare industry is experiencing a shortage of skilled workers,'' she said.

Ms Cole said the program was great news for the childcare industry. "People seeking a career in childcare will be able to obtain skills and qualifications at no cost to them,'' she said.

Erin Larkin, of Paradise, and Chelsey Buller, of Brooklyn Park, for example, have completed five weeks of the 12-week program.

17 year-old Miss Larkin moved from Mt Gambier to Adelaide to complete the training course. She said seeing an advertisement for the free training helped her decide a direction after she left school.

"I was a little bit lost,'' she said. "When this opportunity came along I jumped at it.''

Miss Buller, 21, learned about the training on the internet. "I was in hospitality and I wanted to try something different,'' she said.

Other industries covered by the program include