JobTrainer

ACT and Commonwealth Governments have agreed to an extension and expansion of the JobTrainer Fund, providing an additional $16.75 million to support critical skills training in 2021 and 2022. This means approximately 2,500 free training places will be available over two years; the final number of places is contingent on the uptake of full qualifications and short courses.

JobTrainer offers free vocational education and training in employment growth areas for job seekers and young people, aged 17-24 who have left school. JobTrainer 2.0 has also expanded eligibility in four focus areas, allowing all Canberrans over 17 years of age access to a training place regardless of employment status, in aged care, early childhood education and care, disability care and digital skills.

This is one of the ways the ACT Government is supporting jobs and the economy during COVID-19.

About JobTrainer

JobTrainer offers free vocational education and training to young people and job seekers across Canberra in areas of employment growth.

JobTrainer will deliver approximately 2,500 free training places in key industries and occupations that are in demand in the ACT. The first release of JobTrainer 2.0 places includes training in:

  • aged care
  • disability care
  • early childhood education and care
  • digital skills.

Canberrans aged over 17, who have left school, will have the opportunity to enrol in these priority regardless of their employment status.

JobTrainer is a $16.75 million program jointly funded by the Commonwealth and ACT Governments and is designed to complement other training available through existing ACT Government initiatives.

 

1. Participant Eligibility
JobTrainer places will be available to job seekers and young people aged 17-24, who have left school. A range of full qualifications, pre-apprenticeships and short courses will be available. Eligibility for aged care, early childhood education and care, disability care and digital skills courses, is open to Canberrans aged 17 and over (who have left school), regardless of their employment status.
As a minimum, a student must be (for the duration of enrolment):

a. an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or New Zealand passport holder resident for more than 6 months, or

b. a person who holds a visa that is identified as being eligible (eligibility check on the ACT government website here),

AND

c. living or working in the ACT

AND

d. at least 15 years of age

AND

e. not enrolled in or attending secondary school or college except where the student:

i. is undertaking a course of study leading to completion of year 12 in an alternative program, or

ii. has an Exemption Certificate and the selected Skilled Capital qualification is an approved ASBA pathway.

In addition to above, to be eligible for a certificate II level Skilled Capital qualification, a student must show evidence to demonstrate that a certificate II qualification is a justifiable learning pathway.

2. Restrictions on funding

a. Student cannot enrol in a qualification (or its replacement) already completed within the last 7 years except where the replacement qualification has combined two or more superseded qualifications.

b. Students cannot enrol in a Skilled Capital qualification if the student is already enrolled in the same or equivalent qualification under another government funded initiative

e.g. Australian Apprenticeship or subsidized training with public provider.

c. Students are only enrolled in one Skilled Capital qualification at a time

3. Example of Evidence required

a. Citizenship and Permanent Residency

    • Australian Birth Certificate
    • Australian Passport
    • Australian Permanent Residency visa
    • Nationalisation Certificate
    • Green Medicare Card

b. Visa Holder

Refer to the Skills Canberra Website on https://www.skills.act.gov.au/eligible_visa_holders for a full list of eligible and ineligible visa types.

For any other types not listed on the website, please let us know and we will check with Skills Canberra.

c. ACT Residency

    • Current ACT Drivers Licence
    • Health Care Card
    • Pension Card
    • ACT Proof of Age Card
    • Utilities account relating to the street address issued within the last 3 months
    • Contract of purchase, current lease/rental document

d. ACT Employment

    • A letter, email or payslip from an ACT Employer that shows the street address where the student is working in the ACT Health Care Card
    • A Statutory Declaration

e. Proof of Age over 15 Years

    • Date of Birth being stated on registration form

AND

    • Date of Birth shown on ID

f. Evidence to justify certificate II eligibility:

    • A signed and dated LLN assessment that documents the ACSF level of the student and the assessor’s determination of whether the level of the student and the assessor’s determination of whether the level of the qualification is appropriate.
    • A Statutory Declaration or signed statement for example, from an employment services provider or health practitioner to prove Change of circumstance.
    • Qualification structure – information in the relevant training package or companion volume that indicates a certificate II qualification is the preferred commencement level.
4. Fees and Charges
If you are eligible for JobTrainer funding, the course fee is free.
*please note – you may still need to pay to gain Police Check/Working Vulnerable People Card application fees to apply for Work Placement if you don’t already have them.

5. Student Support under JobTrainer

Quest can provide you range or support for JobTrainer students to help maximise job opportunities.

Life Skills Training

Quest delivers courses and face-to-face workshops utilising a simulated workplace environment. Embedded in the curriculum are assessments and activities that requires students to develop critical life skills such as respect for diversity, empathy and problem solving. The face-to-face classroom environment replicates a team oriented workplace that provides valuable experience for those with little to no previous employment experience. Quest’s typical demographic for enrolments also mirrors the highly diverse workplace that a student is likely to encounter. Quest traditionally holds an end of study lunch/party for all classes at these gatherings. Students are encouraged to bring traditional dishes from their culture as well as playing music from their homeland. This is always an incredibly positive experience, and feedback has indicated it can be a transformative experience for some who have had little previous experience socialising and working in a highly diverse team.

The networks created in the classroom are also very important post study as students go to different work placements and are able to inform each other of potential work opportuniti.

Travel Expenses for the Students to Attend Training

Quest can cover your travel expenses if you take public transport (Action Bus) to attend your classes. Please talk to our friendly team if you need assistance for your travel expenses.

Mentoring/Coaching

During face-to-face classes, students receive presentations from experienced Disability and Aged Care support workers. This enables students to gain an understanding of the unique challenges they can expect from direct care support roles. Students are also provided mentoring and counselling during the 120-hour work placement should they require it. This extends to issues including, but not limited, to:

  • bullying or harassment in the work environment;
  • challenging or assaultive behaviour from residents or clients; and
  • death of residents or clients

Work Ready Workshops

To prepare students for work placement requirements and more broadly for work roles in the industry, students participate in a workshop delivered by Quest’s work placement coordinator. At these workshops, students are informed of dress requirements, punctuality expectations, Work Health and Safety (WHS) requirements and other relevant information.

In line with Quest’s work placement agreements, students are also required to participate in an induction workshop delivered by Quest’s work placement partners.

Career Advice

Quest also provides students with employment opportunity synopsis information. This involves Quest staff providing up-to-date summaries of employment opportunities listed in Seek, careerone and job listings advertised on CDnet, a widely used local service that advertises community services job vacancies to subscribers.

Quest also provides students with references in support of job applications. This is a crucial support, as it is an industry standard for employers to require at least two relevant referees for prospective employees. This is often difficult to source for school leavers and those returning to work from long absences.

Health Specific Workshops

Critically, in addition to the accredited training provided as part of the qualification, Quest has also developed a suite of non-accredited health specific training workshops that are vital for NDIS and Aged Care organisations to ensure quality care for clients. Non-accredited workshops are mandatory trainings for organisations to be compliant against elements of the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework, National Standards for Disability Services, and the Aged Care Quality Standards. All JobTrainer students are offered free of charge enrolments in our non-accredited health specific workshops. This includes;

  • Manual handling
  • Oxygen administration
  • Epilepsy management
  • Positive Behaviour Support
  • Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) Feeding
  • Bowel management
  • Diabetes management
  • Ostomy management
  • Personal care management
  • Medication Management

The skills provided in these non-accredited workshops are in high demand by employers as they are used to meet compliance requirements under NDIS Practice Standards and Aged Care Quality Standards for staff providing services to complex clients. This will give Quest students an enormous advantage when applying for positions in Aged Care and Disability Care at the completion of their studies.

Specialist Support Services

Quest also provides specialist support services including, but not limited to:

  • Counselling support through Quest’s EAP Program; and
  • Disability employment support through QuestCare’s School Leaver Employment Service (SLES) Program;
  • Domestic Violence support through our informal partnership with YWCA
  • First Language support though our multi-lingual administration and support staff.

6. Student Exit Survey

You will receive an email from Skills Canberra to participate in an exit survey on completion of, or withdrawal from, training. You must agree to participate in this survey upon enrolment.

The JobTrainer Fund requires the ACT Government to regularly report on the progress of program performance against set milestones; and evaluate and report on the effectiveness of the program in meeting the needs of the target cohorts in the ACT to the Australian Government. The student exit survey is one of the necessary measures to allow students to provide feedback on the program and for the assessment of the effectiveness of the program.