A Brief Guide About Smart and Skilled Government Subsidy

The government offers various programs to help many people. For example, Smart and Skilled is a reform of the NSW Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, which are government-funded courses. Smart and Skilled is a government initiative to improve the quality of vocational education and training in NSW.

The NSW Government wants to ensure all students have access to quality training that will help them get jobs that pay good wages. To do that, government-funded courses are created.

Skills List

The Skills List is a list of approved VET qualifications and units of competency. It is used to determine eligibility for Smart and Skilled subsidies and the skills shortages register. The list includes qualifications from all states and territories in Australia (except Western Australia) plus New Zealand.

The Skills List is available on the Smart and Skilled website, where you can search by name or industry sector. You can also download it as an Excel spreadsheet or PDF document.

Eligibility

You must be:

• an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
• not enrolled in a full-time course;
• not under 18 years of age; and
• Either has completed a Certificate III or above or has completed at least one year of study towards completion of a Diploma or Advanced Diploma.

Fee

You may have to pay some of the fees for your course. This could include:

• A deposit, which is a fee you pay before you start studying (usually $50), will then be refunded once you complete the training course.
• A bond is a fee that covers any damage or loss caused by students during their time at the training provider. This can range from $200 – $5,000 depending on what equipment or facilities are damaged/lost.

Bond amounts are determined by individual training providers, so check with them directly if you think this might apply to your situation!

• Course Fees – The amount of money that needs to be paid before starting any coursework (and can vary depending on factors like location). It’s important to note here: these are NOT government subsidies!

Are you eligible?

The eligibility criteria to apply for a government subsidy are:

• Your age must be between 18 and 65 years.
• You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.
• If you are employed full-time (35 hours per week), then your annual gross income must be less than $40,016 in 2018. Suppose you’re self-employed or unemployed and actively looking for work.

In that case, it may still be possible for you to qualify for this funding, depending on your circumstances. In this case, the amount of income that qualifies will differ from person to person and depends on an assessment from a government officer.

The maximum number of hours worked per week is 20, as well as 100% attendance at work/schooling/training during the term time break period (1st July – 31st January).

You may be eligible for a Smart and Skilled government subsidy

You can check your eligibility by entering your details on the Smart and Skilled website. If you are eligible, you will be able to access the Smart and Skilled subsidy. If you are not eligible, you will not be able to access the Smart and Skilled subsidy.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to get a new job, start your career or refresh your skills, government-funded courses of Smart and Skilled can help you get there. So make use of these courses now!