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Jobs and Skills WA for VET providers

Jobs and Skills WA and VET programs

As Western Australia’s economy grows and diversifies, the outlook for jobs is constantly changing. Jobs and Skills WA is the way the State Government, through the Department, prioritises its investment in training to focus on courses that equip people to take up jobs that are, or will be, in high demand.

Jobs and Skills WA provides a subsidised training place for eligible students enrolled in courses that are deemed State priority qualifications, where a training place is available.

Priority training includes apprenticeships, eligible traineeships and priority industry qualifications. Many other important industry qualifications are also subsidised under Jobs and Skills WA, including general industry training courses and foundation skills and equity courses.

A VET trainer with students.
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An overview of training programs

Under Jobs and Skills WA, contracting arrangement processes have been developed specifically to invite private training providers to receive WA Government funding to deliver VET programs in Western Australia. These processes have been streamlined and strengthened to support greater quality training provision.

Through a competitive tender process, the Department selects suitable registered training organisations (RTOs) who are then offered a contract to be placed on a "preferred provider panel" (the panel) for one or more of the following programs that meet the State’s priorities. Once on the panel, an RTO is then able to request funding under Jobs and Skills WA for student places.

Apprenticeships Program

This is a structured program with a combination of on and off the job training, where apprentices gain hands-on skills and knowledge. Apprenticeships are predominantly in traditional and technical trades such as construction, electrical, hairdressing, commercial cookery etc.

Traineeships Program

This is a  program with a combination of work and structured training, in non-trade related areas.

Pre-apprenticeship Program

This is a Certificate II program designed to provide industry specific training, combined with real work placement to provide entry level job-ready skills, and a pathway into an apprenticeship program. The program is available to pre-apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships at school, however places are capped for those at school.

Pre-traineeships Program

The aim of the pre-traineeships program is to provide students with industry specific training, combined with adequate practice through work placements to gain skills, knowledge and behaviours to enable transition into an indentured traineeship and achieve their career objectives.

All current pre-traineeship programs are also delivered in schools, however; some of the courses may only be delivered in selected metropolitan and regional schools.

Enterprise Training Program

This program is a structured partnership between an RTO and an enterprise, designed to develop and implement a training program to upskill the enterprise's existing workforce to meet current demands.

Training funded through this program will be targeted to existing workers in the Allied Health and Social Assistance sectors who provide direct care services. Priority will be given to training linked to the implementation of the National Disability Incentive Scheme (NDIS) and in meeting training and skill gap requirements in the aged care sector.

This demonstration program will be progressively evaluated and the resulting outcomes will inform any future procurement of training services under the program.

Participation Program

The Participation Program focuses on the delivery of training for those sections of the population that are under-represented in the workforce and face barriers to mainstream training arrangements. Student groups and eligibility requirements for the program are outlined in the business rules for your contract.
 

  • A list of available courses is provided for each student group, on the Jobs and Skills WA website.
  • A list of referral agents for the program is available in the How do I manage my contract section of this page.

Participation–Work Readiness

This program aims to assist unemployed people who are job ready, seeking the relevant skills and experiences to access meaningful work so they can participate fully in the workforce. 

The program has a targeted approach to recruiting students from the eligible target groups via referrals from an approved referral agent. These referral agents are organisations that offer support services to individuals including the Disability Services Commission, selected Job Active providers, Jobs and Skills  Centres, and community-based organisations. 

Participation–Equity

This program aims to assist unemployed people who have barriers accessing mainstream training to become job ready, so they can participate fully in the workforce. The eligible target groups under this program are; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders; Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD); people with disabilities, and youth at risk.

The program has a targeted approach to recruiting students from the eligible target groups via referrals from an approved referral agent. These referral agents are organisations that offer support services to individuals including the Disability Services Commission, selected Job Active providers, Jobs and Skills  Centres, and community-based organisations. A list of referral agents is available in the How do I manage my contract section of this page. 

Aboriginal School-based Training (ASBT) Program

This program provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island students with the opportunity to gain basic skills and training and to commence an apprenticeship or traineeship while at school. This program has two pathways:

  • employment-based training (school-based apprenticeships and traineeships); and
  • institutional based training.

Only the qualifications listed on the ASBT payment table are available for the ASBT target group.

RTOs will be invited and approved to undertake ASBT institutional based training based on current contract delivery and performance.

Approved ASBT RTOs cannot recruit ASBT students. The School Sector Committee comprising representatives from the three schools sectors — public, independent and Catholic — will allocate places, in consultation with their schools.

A list of ASBT preferred providers is available in the How do I manage my contract section of this page. 

Priority Industry Training Program

This program focuses on making available a range of qualifications that address priority industry needs of the State through a non employment-based training pathway.

This program has two target groups; jobseekers and existing workers.  The qualifications offered may be delivered in any region throughout WA for both target groups.

Work Placement Program

This program is to provide learners with work experience specific to the occupational outcome of their chosen qualification.

This program responds to the key workforce challenges in the health and community services industry areas as identified in the State Training Board’s Social Assistance and Allied Health Workforce Strategy report. It also aligns with Western Australia’s commitments under the National Partnership Agreement on Skilling Australians Fund.

This program will support registered training organisations (RTOs) to work with employers to provide quality work placement opportunities to students undertaking a course in-scope of the program. The work placement will help students to broaden their skills, knowledge and behaviors to achieve their career objectives.
Foundation Skills courses

There are two fee-free priority foundation skills courses – the Course in Applied Vocational Study Skills (CAVSS) and the Course in Underpinning Skills for Industry Qualifications (USIQ). These courses do not result in a separate qualification, rather they provide support to students who need additional assistance to successfully complete their vocational qualification and develop the skills needed for the workplace. These courses are undertaken in conjunction with approved delivery in the main training programs listed above.

Private  RTOs contracted by the Department to deliver VET can apply for funding to deliver CAVSS and USIQ using the relevant request forms. These forms can be found in the How do I manage my contract section of this page.

For further information about the Foundation Skills courses, visit our Language, literacy and numeracy page. 

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How do I apply for a contract?

Registered training organisations (RTOs) seeking to be contracted under Jobs and Skills WA to deliver Government subsidised training are required to meet a number of entry requirements — common, and program-specific — to determine their suitability to be placed on a panel of preferred training providers. You will need to demonstrate that your RTO has the organisational (governance and financial) and operational capacity to meet the training needs of students and industry. Your RTO will be assessed against the following common criteria for all programs. 
 

  • Current RTO registration
  • Current scope to deliver courses on the list
  • Good track record in training delivery outcomes
  • Good track record in previous regulatory audits
  • Sound finances and governance
  • Adequate insurances, as detailed in the tender

You may also be required to address program specific criteria, which will vary depending on the program.  

Please note: To make an application for a tender, the Service Provider needs to ensure that they have access to the TAMS RTO Portal.

Looking up information on a computer.
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Introduction to preferred provider panel

The RTO preferred provider panel status expires on 31 December of each year. Annual contracts are issued for training delivery, and the RTO's performance against this contract will determine if they remain on the panel.

The Department went to the market in July 2022 and refreshed its preferred provider panels for 2023—25.

Where a gap in the market is identified that cannot be serviced by existing panel members, the Department may invite new entrants to apply through a subsequent tender.

The current preferred provider panel list can be founder in the How do I manage my contract section of this page. 

The quality framework

A quality framework has been developed to ensure that the procurement and delivery of this training takes place in accordance with processes and mechanisms that ensure only high quality providers are contracted and continue to deliver Government subsidised training in WA. 

View the Quality framework for publicly funded private RTOs (June 2022) 

FAQs — Applying for a contract

Advertising of contracts

All State Government tenders are advertised on the Tenders WA website at tenders.wa.gov.au, which is where all the necessary information including early tender advice and tender advertisements for training will be listed.

To receive notifications of Department tenders, please register with the Tenders WA website and ensure you opt for email notifications.

How do I apply?

If you wish to apply for any new program or be informed of new tenders from the Department, you can register on the Tenders WA website. Ensure you opt for email notifications to receive notice for the release of a request or an adjustment to a request.

The Department went to the market in July 2022 and refreshed its preferred provider panels for 2023-25. The current preferred provider panel list can be found in the How do I manage my contract section of this page.

Where a gap in the market is identified that cannot be serviced by existing panel members, the Department may invite new entrants to apply through a subsequent tender. Notifications will be via TendersWA.

Would I be prequalified for other application processes?

An existing RTO that meets the criteria will be deemed prequalified against those criteria for up to three years, subject to satisfactory performance. Prequalification can extend to further years subject to mandatory and compliance checks.

This means that subsequent contracting processes can be streamlined for those RTOs prequalified and, in some cases, restricted only to them.

What are the durations of the contracts?

You will be contracted to a preferred provider panel for each program for a period of one year. Possible extensions are dependent on funding, program availability and meeting required contractual and regulatory requirements.

The Department is committed to contracting only the highest quality training services. Therefore, contractual reviews backed by a stringent audit process will be conducted throughout the term of the contract.

Further information 

For general enquiries on the Department's publicly funding training, please contact our Training Markets team:  Training.Markets@dtwd.wa.gov.au. 

You can access the current preferred provider panel via the TAMS Portal at tamsrtoportal.dtwd.wa.gov.au, or view RTOs delivering in WA via the course list on the Job and Skills WA website.

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What does my contract consist of?

A male business man looking at a contract document.

Under Jobs and Skills WA, contracting arrangement processes have been streamlined and strengthened to support greater quality training provision.

The focus is on efficient and effective selection and management of contracted private registered training organisations (RTOs).

RTOs contracted by the Department to deliver training services in WA are required to comply with a range of contractual obligations. These include key contractual requirements common to all programs, and additional program-specific requirements which will vary depending on the program under which you have been contracted to deliver.

Listed below are the contractual requirements and supporting information.
 

  • The list of key contractual documents are common to all programs and apply to all contracts.
     
  • The items listed under program-specific requirements are additional to the key contractual documents. They apply only to the program/s you have been contracted to deliver.

All RTOs are to ensure that they comply with the Department of Training and Workforce Development's VET fees and charges policy.

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Contracting information and resources

Key contractual requirements

These documents form part of the contract and outline the contractual obligations of the service provider.
 

  • Letter signed by the Corporation in acceptance of the Service Providers Offer
  • Payment tables are generated based on the funded training list. They detail the total hourly rate (Government subsidy and student fee) that will be paid to the training provider for the qualification.

Provisions as to the formation of the contract, and rules to be applied in the event of inconsistency between any of the documents constituting the contract, are contained in the general provisions.

Program-specific requirements

Apprenticeships and traineeships

The Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office administers training contracts and regulates the apprenticeship system in WA, as prescribed in Part 7 of the Vocational Education and Training Act 1996 (the VET Act) and associated Regulations. Visit the Apprenticeship Office website for information on the obligations when delivering training to apprentices and trainees.

Participation Program

A list of ASBT preferred providers in available in the How do I manage my contract section of this page.

Priority Industry Training Program
For 2023—25 (effective from 1 January 2023)

Further information

If you require clarification or assistance in relation to your contract, please contact your case manager via training.market@dtwd.wa.gov.au

Information and resources related to the ongoing management of your contract are available in the How do I manage my contract section of this page. 

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How do I manage my contract?

Here you will find information, guidance, resources and tools to assist you with meeting your  obligations for the duration of your contract. 

General information

• 2023 Contracted Providers 
• ASBT preferred provider list
• Referral agent contact details

If you require clarification or assistance in relation to your contract, please contact your case manager directly. 

 

People writing on a document.
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Policy, fees, payments and pricing

All providers of Jobs and Skills WA training will charge the same course fees per hour; however, overall course fees may differ between training providers depending on the course content. The Department's VET fees and charges policy outlines all the conditions and eligibility criteria for government subsidised training, including concession and fee cap information.

View the VET fees and charges policy

Payment tables

Payment tables are generated based on the Funded training list, and detail the total hourly rate (Government subsidy and student fee) that will be paid to the service provider for the qualification. The following link will take you to an index of all payment tables for each of the training programs.
 

General information
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How do I exit my contract?

If you decide to discontinue your service delivery under the contract, you can choose to exit the contract at any time.

You should establish an exit plan, which includes the elements outlined in the business rules.

RTOs that are exiting the market must complete the following steps. 

A woman tearing up a contract.
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Steps to exit

  1. Formally notify the Department within 10 business days of this decision being taken. The notification should be endorsed by the Chief Executive Officer of the service provider, and include the last date of training and a timeframe for all Statements of Attainment to be issued.
     
  2. Finalise students’ open units of competency (UoCs) and do not commence any new UoCs unless these can be completed prior to the RTOs nominated last date of training.
     
  3. Assist the Department in finding an alternative service provider for any continuing students.
     
  4. Issue students with statements of attainment.
     
  5. Submit a final TAMS lodgement whereby all UoCs  on the student record need to be final outcomes (ie prepare a lodgement with no ‘participating’ [outcome 5] or ‘yet to commence’ [outcomes 55 or 105]) to demonstrate that all activity has been finalised. The RTO must prepare the lodgement as a draft and notify their case manager via email.  The case manager reviews the lodgement and determines whether any adjustments are required prior to the final submission. Once the lodgement has been finalised and the contracts acquitted, the Department will issue payment or an invoice depending on the outcome of the lodgement.

Following these steps, the Department will issue a letter of termination to the RTO, once the final lodgement has been accepted.

The service provider must retain both evidence of commencement and evidence of final assessment in any UoC for which funding has been claimed, for a period of five (5) years after exiting the market (refer to 1.10 of the business rules).

Please note that in the case of liquidation or cessation as a registered training organisation (RTO), you may have additional obligations to meet under the RTO Standards.

Further information

If you require clarification or assistance in relation to your contract, please contact your case manager directly. 

 

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Page last updated October 16, 2023