Victoria State Funding Program

Now is the ideal time to make a start on gaining new skills, or upgrading your existing skills, to help you get the job you want.

The Victorian Training Guarantee makes vocational training more accessible to people who do not hold a post-school qualification, or who want to gain a higher level qualification than they already hold.

There are now an unlimited number of government-subsidised training places available to people who meet the eligibility criteria.

Generally, you are eligible for a government-subsidised training place if you are:

• - an Australian citizen
• - an Australian Permanent Resident (holder of a permanent visa)
• - a New Zealand citizen

and are any of the following:

• - under 20 years of age
• - seeking to enrol in a Foundation Skills List course (and do not hold a Diploma or above qualification or are receiving core skills training in other sectors)
• - seeking to enrol in VCE or VCAL
• - seeking to enrol in an apprenticeship
• - 20 years and older and ‘upskilling’ by seeking to enrol in a course at a higher level than your existing qualification.

If you are enrolled at a school, you will not be able to receive a government-subsidised training place for a course through the Victorian Training Guarantee, unless you are undertaking the course as part of a School-Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship. The Government supports schools in other ways to offer vocational training to their students, so you should discuss all your options with your school.

You can also check what you may be eligible for using the interactiveVictorian Skills Gateway Eligibility Indicator.

Foundation Skills List (pdf - 18.45kb) | Foundation Skills List (docx - 31.13kb) 

You are eligible to commence a maximum of two subsidised courses at the same qualification level in your lifetime. This restriction applies whether or not you complete the courses. For example, this means if you have already commenced two courses at the Certificate III level, you may only commence courses at the Certificate IV level (or above).

This restriction does not apply to courses on the Foundation Skills List or to students recommencing training in the same qualification (at the same or a different provider).

Under exceptional circumstances students may apply for an exemption to the rule allowing only two commencements at the same level, enabling them to enrol in a further qualification at the same level. See the Frequently Asked Questions for information about this. No exemptions are available for any other eligibility criteria.

In addition, eligible students can begin up to two subsidised courses in a year as long as you are not doing any more than two courses at a time.

If you are seeking to enrol in an apprenticeship (not a traineeship) and you have already commenced two courses in that same year, you will be eligible for government subsidised training under the Victorian Training Guarantee if either of the two courses you previously commenced are included on the Higher Education and Skills Pre-Apprenticeship and Pathway qualifications list:

 | Pre-Apprenticeship and Pathway Qualifications List (docx - 33.87kb)

You can still study at your choice of training provider if places are available, but you may not be able to access a government-subsidised place.

Some training providers do not provide government-subsidised training places and charge full fee for service rates. Some courses are only offered as full fee for service.