Fees and Funding Options in Queensland
User Choice (Apprenticeships and Traineeships)
What is “User Choice”?
The Queensland Government Department of Employment, Small Business and Training provide funding for User Choice Apprenticeships and Traineeships in Queensland, subject to eligibility conditions being met.
The program aims to provide funding aligned to the skill needs of industry and respond to changing government priorities.
Queensford College is a Pre-Qualified Supplier under this program for the delivery of this Certificate III qualification as an apprenticeship or traineeship pathway for new and existing workers.
Program
What will you gain from this program?
Apprentices and trainees are able to upgrade their skills through publicly-funded training and assessment services.
For more information about the User Choice 2017-20 program, click here to visit the Queensland Government Department of Employment, Small Business and Training’s Website.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a government contribution towards the costs of training, an apprentice or trainee must have entered into a training contract for a qualification that is funded by DESBT (Department of Employment, Small Business and Training ) and be registered in DESBT’s registration system DELTA. The contract commencement date or recommencement date must be on or after 1st July 2010, and the training provider selected to deliver the training must hold a pre-qualified supplier status for the nominated qualification.
The government contribution for a User Choice funding contribution is detailed in the apprentice or trainee’s letter of registration from DESBT, and is subject to student eligibility and their selection of an eligible pre-qualified supplier as their supervising Registered Training Organisation.
There are no prerequisites for entry into the program courses, however, it is desired that candidates have completed Australian Year 10 (or equivalent). Student may need to complete a language literacy and numeracy test prior to enrolment.
Concession Eligibility
How do you qualify for concession fees?
Concessional student status applies when:
- The student holds a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card issued under Commonwealth law, or is the partner or a dependant of a person who holds a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card and is named on the card
- The student provides the Queensford College with an official form under Commonwealth law confirming that the student, their partner or the person of whom the student is a dependant is entitled to concessions under a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card
- The student is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- The student is a school student and is enrolled in a VETiS program (may include young people in detention)
- The student has a disability
- The student is an adult prisoner.
Do you need to contribute to the cost of training?
In most cases, apprentices and trainees are required to pay a Student Contribution Fee. The Student Contribution Fees are currently (in 2018) charged at the rate of $1.60 per nominal hour for each unit of competency/module to be calculated at the commencement of the unit of competency/module.
If agreed between the employer and the apprentice/trainee, student contribution fees can be paid by the employer.
In some cases though, you may be eligible for a partial or full exemption. School based apprentices and trainees are not required to pay a student contribution fee while they are still at school but may be required to pay fees once the training contract has been converted to full-time or part-time post school.