VET Funding Contracts

Skills First training providers

Training providers must meet the requirements of the VET Funding Contract and Guidelines to receive government-subsidised funding for their delivery of Skills First training.

This page contains the current VET Funding Contracts and Guidelines.

Contracted training providers should refer to Contract Notifications on the Skills Victoria Training System (SVTS) for the latest information about their contract obligations.

The Skills First training providers (XLSX) document contains a list of all contracted Skills First training providers current at the date stated on the list.

2023 contracts

These VET Funding Contracts apply to students commencing training from 1 January 2023:

• Standard VET Funding Contract - Skills First program - version 2 (PDF, 593KB)
• Standard VET Funding Contract - Skills First program - version 2 (DOCX, 254KB)
• 2023 TAFE VET Funding Contract - Skills First program - version 2.1 (PDF, 572KB)
• 2023 TAFE VET Funding Contract - Skills First program - version 2.1 (DOCX, 249KB)
• 2023 Dual sector VET Funding Contract - Skills First program - version 2.1 (PDF, 583KB)
• 2023 Dual sector VET Funding Contract - Skills First program - version 2.1 (DOCX, 253KB)

2023 guidelines

Eligibility

These guidelines describe the requirements that training providers must apply when assessing and evidencing a student's eligibility for Skills First.

Guidelines about determining student eligibility and supporting evidence:

• 2023 guidelines about eligibility (PDF, 334KB)
• 2023 guidelines about eligibility (DOCX, 414KB)

Fees

These guidelines describe the requirements about tuition fees and other fees associated with Skills First training, and the financial and accountability requirements for fees.

• 2023 guidelines about fees (PDF, 220KB)
• 2023 guidelines about fees (DOCX, 388KB)

Apprenticeship/traineeship training delivery

These guidelines detail additional requirements that training providers must apply when delivering Skills First training to apprentices and trainees.

• 2023 guidelines about apprenticeship/traineeship (PDF, 224KB)
• 2023 guidelines about apprenticeship/traineeship (DOCX, 393KB)

Skills First quality charter

This charter explains what the department expect from training providers in their provision of key aspects of training services under the Contract.

• Skills First Quality Charter (PDF, 222KB)
• Skills First Quality Charter (DOCX, 374KB)

Fact sheets

Change in control and other significant changes

This fact sheet helps training providers understand the requirements for notifying the department about a Change in Control and other significant changes, such as changes to CEO, ownership or operations.

• Change in control (PDF, 185KB)
• Change in control (DOCX, 368KB)

Concessions

This fact sheet explains the student concession entitlement, how to check and document a concession, the department's payment contribution, and training provider's reporting requirements.

• Student concession entitlement (PDF, 340KB)
• Student concession entitlement (DOCX, 1MB)

How to consider literacy and numeracy skills

This fact sheet explains how training providers should consider a student's literacy and numeracy as part of a Pre-Training Review.

• Literacy and numeracy for pre-training review (PDF, 203KB)
• Literacy and numeracy for pre-training review (DOCX, 370KB)

Disallowed persons

This fact sheet helps training providers understand and comply with the Disallowed Person requirements in the Contract.

• Disallowed person requirements (PDF, 205KB)
• Disallowed person requirements (DOCX, 421KB)

Evidence of participation

This fact sheet is designed to help training providers meet the department's expectations for documenting Evidence of Participation under the Skills First program.

• Evidence of participation (PDF, 204KB)
• Evidence of Participation (DOCX, 1MB)

Key features of the VET Funding Contract

This fact sheet gives a simple overview of the VET Funding Contract's main features.

• Key features of the contract (PDF, 260KB)
• Key features of the contract (DOCX, 462KB)

Payments under Skills First

This fact sheet explains how payments work under the Skills First program.

• Payments under Skills First (PDF, 180KB)
• Payments under Skills First (DOCX, 1MB)

Quality in online delivery

This fact sheet gives an overview of requirements for online training and assessment.

• Quality in online delivery (PDF, 163KB)
• Quality in online delivery (DOCX, 474KB)

Recordkeeping requirements

This fact sheet gives an overview of the key recordkeeping requirements.

• Recordkeeping requirements (PDF, 184KB)
• Recordkeeping requirements (DOCX, 440KB)

Sighting and retaining evidence of eligibility

This fact sheet explains what training providers must sight and retain when checking a student's evidence of eligibility for Skills First training.

• Sighting and retaining evidence of eligibility (PDF, 226KB)
• Sighting and retaining evidence of eligibility (DOCX, 385KB)

Skill sets - understanding skill sets

This fact sheet explains the Contract arrangements for Skills First skill sets, including allocations, student eligibility and enrolment, skill sets and Course Ins, fees and payments, and reporting.

• Understanding skill sets (PDF, 181KB)
• Understanding skill sets (DOCX, 374KB)

Student eligibility for Skills First

This fact sheet explains how training providers should apply the Skills First eligibility requirements, including the limits on the amount of training and eligibility exemptions.

• Student eligibility for Skills First (PDF, 425KB)
• Student eligibility for Skills First (DOCX, 556KB)

Student information and protection

This fact sheet summarises the rules about the type of information training providers must give students at various stages in their training.

• Student information and protection (PDF, 186KB)
• Student information and protection (DOCX, 450KB)

Students under 17

This fact sheet explains what training providers need to know before enrolling a student under 17, including the different rules for sighting and retaining a student's exemption from school attendance.

• Students under 17 (PDF, 173KB)
• Students under 17 (DOCX, 1MB)

Using electronic signatures

This fact sheet helps training providers understand how to meet the department's expectations when using electronic signatures.

• Using electronic signatures (PDF, 223KB)
• Using electronic signatures (DOCX, 405KB)

Additional contract resources

Questions and answers about the VET Funding Contract

Answers to common questions to help training providers understand key concepts in the VET Funding Contract and Guidelines.

• VET Funding Contract - Questions and answers (PDF, 580KB)
• VET Funding Contract - Questions and answers (DOCX, 228KB)

Guide to superseding training products

This guide explains the transition to superseding or replacement training products under Skills First.

• Guide to superseding training products (PDF, 223KB)
• Guide to superseding training products (DOCX, 1MB)

Guide to withdrawals

This guide clarifies the definitions, processes, evidence, and reporting requirements that apply to withdrawn subject and program enrolments.

• Guide to withdrawals (PDF, 482KB)
• Guide to withdrawals (DOCX, 1MB)

Audit (audit and review)

The department's audit strategy has been developed to help training providers understand the audit program and how to prepare for funding and quality assurance audits and reviews.

Skills First audit and review strategy (PDF, 345KB)

Compliance expectations under the Contract

This guidance document helps training providers understand the department's approach to ensuring compliance with the terms of the contract, and how the department responds when a concern or issue arises.

• Compliance expectations and framework (PDF, 171KB)
• Compliance expectations and framework (DOCX, 1MB)

Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) and AQTF essential conditions and standards for continuing registration

For information on the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) and related documents, including the AQTF essential conditions and standards for initial and continuing registration, see: National Skills Standards Council (NSSC).

Standards for registered training organisations 2015

• Standards for registered training organisations 2015
• Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA)

Practical placement guidelines

For guidance for registered training organisations when arranging practical placements for students undertaking vocational training, refer to Practical placement guidelines.

Purchasing guides

For copies of purchasing guides, refer to Victorian purchasing guides.

Victorian VET student statistical collection guidelines

For a copy of Victorian VET student statistical collection guidelines and other related documents, refer to VET data collection.

Acts

Commonwealth Acts

To view A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, see: A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, and for more Acts. Refer to ComLaw.

Victorian Acts

For copies of the below Acts, see Victorian legislation and parliamentary documents.

• Audit Act 1994
• Disability Act 2006
• Education and Training Reform Act 2006
• Electronic Transactions (Victoria) Act 2000
• Equal Opportunity Act 1995
• Freedom of Information Act 1982
• Information Privacy Act 2000
• Penalty Interest Rates Act 1983 (Victoria)
• Public Records Act 1973
• Ombudsman Act 1973
• Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities
• Working With Children Act 2005

External websites

• Australian Apprenticeships
• Australian Skills Quality Agency (ASQA)
• National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)
• National Quality Indicators
• Training Support Network
• Training.gov.au - the database on Vocational Education and Training in Australia
• Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)
• Victorian Registration and Qualification Authority (VRQA)
• Vocational Education and Training Fee Help (VET Fee Help)

Contract terminations

The department has a public duty to ensure government funds are used appropriately when training providers deliver Skills First training to students.

We can terminate a VET Funding Contract if we identify a training provider’s serious non-compliance with its terms.

Since 2015, the department has terminated VET Funding Contracts for 47 training providers.