Here are the answers to questions people often ask about eligibility for Smart and Skilled training.

Who is eligible for subsidised training under Smart and Skilled?

If you are:

• 15 years old or over, and
• no longer at school, and
• living or working in NSW (or an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person living in specific NSW border areas), and
• an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder or New Zealand citizen
or
• a NSW apprentice or trainee you may be eligible to enrol in a government-subsidised course with an approved Smart and Skilled training provider.

Your eligibility for specific courses depends on your previous qualifications:

• If you haven’t completed a Certificate IV or higher-level qualification, you’re entitled to enrol in a subsidised course up to Certificate III level.
• You can enrol in subsidised training in targeted priority areas at Certificate IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma level, depending on the availability of funding for these courses. Having completed a Certificate IV or higher-level qualification does not affect eligibility. NSW apprentices and most new-entrant trainees are eligible for a government subsidy for the training that supports their apprenticeship or traineeship. Their previous qualifications do not affect their eligibility.

How does Smart and Skilled affect apprentices and trainees?

All NSW apprentices and trainees in traineeships on the NSW Skills List are eligible for a government subsidy under Smart and Skilled for the qualification that supports their apprenticeship or traineeship.

Apprentices, eligible new-entrant trainees and their employers can choose an approved Smart and Skilled training provider that best meets their needs. Their choice of training provider does not affect the fee that is paid. The fee they pay is the same regardless of which approved Smart and Skilled training provider they choose.

Rather than paying yearly or by semester, apprentices and eligible trainees under Smart and Skilled pay a fee for the qualification. They may still pay in instalments over a number of years, but the fee is an amount for the qualification, fixed at the time the apprentice or trainee commences.

I’ve completed one vocational qualification since leaving school and I’d like to enrol in another. Am I eligible for a subsidy for the new course under Smart and Skilled?

If you have obtained a qualification at Certificate III level or lower after leaving school, you’re entitled to enrol in a subsidised course up to Certificate III level, but you will pay a higher fee than someone who has not achieved any qualifications since leaving school. If you already have a Certificate IV or higher qualification, you are not eligible for a subsidy for qualifications up to Certificate III.

If you have a post-school qualification at any level, including a university qualification obtained overseas, you are eligible to enrol in a subsidised course at Certificate IV or above, but you will pay a higher fee than someone who does not have any qualifications.

These conditions do not apply for apprentices or trainees who are new entrants undertaking specific traineeships. These students are eligible for a government subsidy for the qualification that supports their apprenticeship or traineeship, regardless of any previous qualification they have, and they will pay the lower student fee.

When I was still at school, I enrolled independently with TAFE and completed a vocational qualification. Does this affect my eligibility for Smart and Skilled training?

Any VET qualification obtained as part of your secondary education does not affect your eligibility for Smart and Skilled training. This is because it is not considered to be a post-school qualification.

However, if you independently enrolled in a VET qualification that was not a requirement of your secondary schooling and you obtained it after turning 17, this may affect your eligibility for Smart and Skilled training.

If this qualification was:

• at Certificate III level or below, you may be eligible for Smart and Skilled training up to Certificate III
• at Certificate IV or above, you are not eligible for Smart and Skilled training up to Certificate III. However, you may be eligible to enrol in a Certificate IV or higher-level qualification in targeted priority areas, subject to availability of places.

Note that your fee will be higher because your previous qualification is considered to be a post-school qualification.

For more information about your specific situation, contact an approved Smart and Skilled training provider.

I’m not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, but I currently hold a humanitarian visa. Am I eligible to enrol in a Smart and Skilled course?

You are eligible to enrol in Smart and Skilled training if your immigration status falls under one of the refugee or humanitarian visa categories listed on the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection website.

You and your approved Smart and Skilled training provider are advised to review these categories on the Immigration Department website at the time of your enrolment.

For more information on Smart and Skilled Program, please visit https://smartandskilled.nsw.gov.au/are-you-eligible/frequently-asked-questions