Funded Training

Funded Training – Smart and Skilled

Smart and Skilled is a reform of the NSW vocational education and training system giving people the chance to gain the skills they need to get a job or advance their careers.

Smart and Skilled student fees are for the whole qualification. This means you’ll know, the total cost of the training upfront. To make access to training easier and more flexible we have also made payment plans available to all our students. The exact fee a student pays depends largely on the student’s eligibility. Smart and Skilled training covers apprenticeships and most new-entrant traineeships, although it excludes VET courses in schools.

Pivotal Education is an Approved Smart and Skilled Provider with a list of Approved Qualifications that are approved to deliver.

To make access to Smart and Skilled training easier and more flexible we have also made payment plans available to all our students. The exact fee a student pays depends largely on the student’s eligibility as calculated in the Provider Calculator.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a Smart and Skilled government-subsidised course with Pivotal Education, you will need to meet all of the following criteria:

1. You must be over the age of 15 years old
2. You must no longer be studying at school
3. You must be living or working in NSW
4. You must be an:
   • Australian Citizen, or
   • Australian Permanent Resident, or
   • Humanitarian Visa Holder, or
   • New Zealand Citizen

Or

1. A NSW Apprentice or Trainee

Smart and Skilled Enrolment Process

Prospective students applying to undertake a Smart and Skilled approved qualification with Pivotal Education must also follow the Smart and Skilled enrolment process and must:

1. Complete and sign the enrolment form
2. Complete and sign the Smart and Skilled Subsidised Training Eligibility form to assess eligibility and/or any concession or fee exemptions that may apply
3. Provide information that is true, accurate, complete and not misleading in any way
4. Agree to pay the fees payable as per itemised fees list generated by the P provider calculator based on the information you have provided to Pivotal Education
5. Read the Consumer Protection Policy and sign the declaration on the Smart and Skilled Subsidised Training Eligibility form when you understand your rights and obligations as well as Pivotal Education consumer protection responsibilities and obligations
6. Sign the Consent to the Disclosure of personal information to the Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development and Other Government agencies
7. Authorise Pivotal Education and the Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development to have appropriate access to USI records

Smart and Skilled for 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 such as Pivotal Education that best meets their needs and does not affect the fee that is paid. The fee you pay is the same regardless of which approved Smart and Skilled training provider you 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.

If you’re starting an apprenticeship, your Smart and Skilled fee for the whole qualification will not be more than $2,000.
From 2016, if you’re starting a traineeship that’s on the NSW Skills List, your Smart and Skilled fee for the whole qualification will not be more than $1,000.

For more information, view Smart and Skilled apprenticeship and traineeship qualifications at
https://smartandskilled.nsw.gov.au/for-students/apprenticeships-traineeships

Smart and Skilled Fee Information

Smart and Skilled training is subsidised by the NSW Smart and Skilled student fees for eligible students are made up of a student fee and the NSW Government subsidy which means you only pay a portion of the training cost. As part of the eligibility assessment, you may also be eligible for a concession or fee exemption if you meet the criteria and provide the required evidence.

This fee will be based on eligibility assessment and is for the whole qualification which means you’ll know the total cost to training up front. You can use the Course Finder on the Smart and Skilled website to estimate your course fee at https://smartandskilled.nsw.gov.au/sands/find-a-course

This training is subsidised by the NSW Government.

Support and Assistance

Pivotal Education provides you with support and assistance that covers everything from language, literacy and numeracy support to academic support and student welfare support. For Smart and Skilled Enrolled students, the Consumer Protection Officer appointed to look after you and lead you through the complaints process is the Training and Compliance Manager.

You will be guided through both the internal and external processes that will support you through the process to resolve and/or escalate complaints.

Refer to the following policies:

• Smart and skilled consumer protection
• Policy
• Complaints policy
• Fees and refund policy