NSW Smart and Skilled
The federal and state Governments of Australia are committed to upskilling the Australian workforce, and have created a range of funding schemes and incentive opportunities, including subsidised skillsets and qualifications.
-
Complete the ATS Applicaiton for Enrolment Form, in full
-
Provide ATS with your verified USI
-
Provide ATS with evidence of your Citizenship (Australian, New Zealand or Permanent Resident).
-
Provide ATS with evidence that you live in NSW - generally your Driver's license will be sufficient. If you don't reside in NSW, but you work in NSW, you will need to provide a letter from your employer confirming this.
-
You will also need to sign a consent form, to enrol you into the Smart and Skilled portal, and a declaration that you have read and understand a list of policies/rights and responsibilities etc.
Traineeships
If you are undertaking your course as a traineeship through your employer, you must understand that:
Your traineeship is a legally binding agreement between the state training authority (e.g. Training Services NSW), your employer, and yourself.
Under the agreement you are committing to engage with ATS, your trainer, and the learning content, in developing the required skills and knowledge. This includes undertaking the required training and assessments assigned to you as part of your traineeship.
You are also committing to comply with the terms and conditions of your training contract, including scheduled start and end dates, and assessment submission deadlines.
- Your employer also has obligations under the training contract including to:
- Employ and train you as agreed in the contract and training plan and
- Provide access to appropriate facilities, adequate supervision in the workplace; and
- Allow time to participate in your training.
Smart and Skilled Eligibility
Through Smart and Skilled, the NSW Government subsidises a significant portion of the cost of training and eligible students only pays fees for the remainder.
Any previously attained qualifications do not affect for eligibility for a smart and skilled subsidised qualification (up to Certificate III) but can affect the student fee. Your enrolment into a smart and skilled subsided course can also affect the student fee payable for any subsequent courses you may undertake.
Subsidised places are subject to specific eligibility criteria. For more information regarding eligibility and student fees, please go to www.smartandskilled.nsw.gov.au.
To receive Smart and Skilled Funding, you must be a resident of or work within New South Wales. If you move to another state during your training, your ability to access Smart and Skilled will cease and you may become liable for your course fees.
To be eligible to enrol in a qualification subsidised under the Smart and Skilled program, you must also provide proof that you are:
- an Australian Citizen, a permanent Australian resident, a humanitarian visa holder, or a New Zealand citizen, and
- aged 15 years or older, and
- live or work in NSW, and
- are no longer at school.
Once eligibility has been confirmed and a Commitment ID (CID) has been generated, approved Smart and Skilled students will receive a Notice of Enrolment (NoE).
Where a student fee may apply, an invoice for the student fee is then issued to the student. This invoice must be paid in full before completion of the course and issuance of any certification documentation.
Course Fees are adjusted to reflect any approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) or Credit Transfers (CT). If RPL or CT is applied and approved after a student has paid their fees, ATS will issue the appropriate refund.
If a Smart and Skilled student transfers into a qualification that attracts a different student fee than the original enrolled course, ATS will refund or issue an invoice for the difference (if any).
Extension of Commitment ID (CID)
(Applicable to NSW Smart and Skilled subsidised students only)
All students enrolling into a NSW Smart and Skilled subsidised course are assigned a Commitment ID (CID), by Training Services NSW. A CID will automatically expire 6 (six) weeks from the course start date. If the student has not undertaken any meaningful commencement of the course by that date, they will lose access to the Smart and Skilled funding and ATS may cancel their enrolment.
‘Meaningful commencement’ means the student must do more than simply attend a class or access the training materials. For ATS retain evidence of the students commencement in the course – the student generally must undertake a specified learning activity, that directly relates to the course itself.
A student may request an extension of the CID on one occasion only and for a maximum of one (1) month. Requests must be submitted in writing by emailing: studentsupport@appliedtraining.com.au
Remember that any extension to a CID does not change the course end date.
Course deferments
(Applicable to NSW Smart and Skilled subsidised students only)
Students may request to defer their studies, but only for a period that:
- Does not exceed 12 months, and
- Does not move the new course end date to a date that is more than 12 months after the training product is superseded on the national register: www.training.gov.au
A request for deferment must be submitted in writing by emailing: studentsupport@appliedtraining.com.au.
All requests are subject to approval as per Smart and Skilled Guidelines and may require the student to submit supporting documentation, before the request can be approved.
Access to any online learning platforms and scheduled classes will be suspended during any approved deferment period.
Course extensions
If a student is subsidised under NSW Smart and Skilled, they are able to request a free extension of their course.
Course extension requests must be submitted no later than ninety (90) calendar days prior to their course expiry. Extension requests submitted within ninety (90) calendar days of course expiry may not be considered.
For more details on Course Extension requests, please refer to the Student Handbook and the ATS Course Extensions and Deferments Policy.
