Smart & Skilled Entitlement Apprenticeships and Traineeships Program
(NSW Trainees and Apprentices)
- Funding
- NSW Smart & Skilled
About The Fund
- .
Smart and Skilled is a NSW Government program that offers subsidised training for
courses on the NSW Skills List, which identifies industry areas that need more
qualified workers.
Whether you’re a school student, a school leaver, re-entering the
workforce, advancing your career or changing careers, an apprenticeship or
traineeship is one of the best ways to get hands-on training and a nationally
recognised qualification while being paid.
Traineeships are a proven pathway to well-paid jobs in a diverse range
of careers. In NSW, traineeships are also fee free.
There’s never been a better time to start a traineeship in NSW. The NSW
Government is paying the course cost for 70,000 new traineeships – meaning
trainees undertaking a government funded traineeship course no longer face a
student fee of up to $1000.
Traineeships are a great career pathway. They combine on-the-job
training with formal study to give you the skills and experience employers are
looking for. Traineeships generally take around 1-2 years to complete, and
trainees earn a salary while they learn
There are more than 390 traineeship courses funded in NSW, in a range of
industries including early childhood, health and allied services, business, IT,
hospitality and warehouse operations
Search all NSW traineeships funded under Smart and Skilled
Discover the top 20 traineeship courses
Funding Options
Courses Eligible For Funding
Certificate III in Business
BSB30120
Certificate III in Business (Business Administration)
BSB30120
Certificate III in Business (Customer Engagement)
BSB30120
Certificate II in Surface Extraction Operations
RII20220
Certificate III in Surface Extraction Operations
RII30120
Certificate III in Civil Construction Plant Operations
RII30820
Fund Details
To be eligible to receive a government contribution the apprentice or trainee must have:
- Entered into a training contract for a qualification that is funded by the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training.
- Be registered on DELTA with a commencement date or recommencement date on or after 1 July 2010.
- Selected a training provider who holds a Pre-Qualified Suppler (PQS) status for their nominated qualification.
The Government contribution under the User Choice program will be detailed in the apprentice or trainee’s letter of registration from the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training and is subject to student eligibility.
User Choice funding is available to new workers who are employed as apprentices/trainees. Employees who are classified as ‘Existing Workers’ are not eligible under this program. Existing workers are those who have:
- Worked 3 months full-time for the employer identified in the training contract; or
- Worked 12 months part-time or casual for the employer identified in the training contract and as defined in the Department’s Existing Workers in Apprenticeships and Traineeships policy.
Some employees who are classed as ‘Existing Workers’ may still be eligible for funding providing they are undertaking a priority qualification. Please contact Gold Training for more information.
Want more information about the Queensland Government User Choice Program ? Check out the below resources!
If it turns out that you are eligible for government funding, we want to make sure you know that there will still be a cost involved in your training – but don’t worry, it’s not too much!
You’ll need to pay a small co-contribution fee as part of your course. Student contribution fees under the User Choice program are currently calculated at $1.60 per nominal hour for each unit of competency/module and are worked out when you start each module. If you hold a concession card, then great news -you’ll only be charged 40% of the student contribution fee! Keep in mind that these fees may change annually however, so please check back with us regularly to make sure you know what’s happening.
To qualify for the concessional rate, you must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- You are or will be under the age of 17 at the end of February in the year in which the PQS provides training, and you are not at school and have not completed year 12.
- You hold a Health Care concession card or Pensioner concession card issued under Commonwealth law.
- You are the partner or a dependant of a person who holds a health care concession card or pensioner concession card, and you are named on the card.
- You provide Gold Training with an official form under Commonwealth legislation confirming that you, your partner, or the person of whom you are a dependant is entitled to concessions under a health care or pensioner concession card.
- You are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
Please note: if you are applying for concession rates, you will need to provide evidence of the above.
For our refund policy, please see the Gold Training Student Handbook for our terms, conditions and cancellations policy.
Not sure if your eligible for the User Choice? Use our funding eligibility checker to find out now!
Benefits of employing a trainee
By employing an apprentice or a trainee, you provide training in ‘your way of doing the job‘ and by having staff trained your way from the start, you can increase your business’ efficiency and productivity.
Financial incentives may be available to employers (dependent upon the qualification). Please visit the Queensland Government website for more information on the financial incentives and benefits involved with employing a trainee or an apprentice.
