Contracts between the Department and TAFE and training providers, for the delivery of government-subsidised training under the Skills First program.
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, information about the 2022 contracting arrangements, fact sheets, previous service agreements and other useful information resources.
Contracted training providers should refer to Contract Notifications on the Skills Victoria Training System (SVTS) for the latest information about their contract obligations.
2022 Skills First contract arrangements
The Department will conditionally offer one-year Skills First VET Funding Contracts for 2022 to all currently contracted training providers.
The Department has opted for a one-year contract to account for the changing and dynamic VET environment. Reforms are still in progress at both the state and national level. We will aim to maintain stability in contract settings until any reforms are settled.
Currently contracted training providers
We are confident in the quality and performance of currently contracted training providers and their proven ability to deliver Skills First training. Therefore, 2022 Contracts will be offered without the need to participate in a full expression of interest process.
In late August 2021, we will announce further details on SVTS about the 2022 contracting process and the timetable for training providers to take up the offer of a 2022 Contract.
Non-contracted training providers
The Department will also be running a limited expression of interest process (EOI) for new training providers to deliver Skills First training for specific programs. These will be programs that are needed to meet Government priorities and Victoria's skills and jobs needs. We will only take expressions of interest from training providers who can deliver these specific programs.
The Department has published the
list of programs, together with instructions about the EOI.
After we close the EOI, the Department will re-evaluate Victoria's projected training needs against the VET market supply to determine the final amount and type of additional supply that may be required. As such, we cannot guarantee that any non-contracted training providers will receive a 2022 Contract.
2021 Contracts
These VET Funding Contracts apply to students commencing training from 1 January 2021:
2021 Standard VET Funding Contract - Skills First program - version 3
2021 TAFE VET Funding Contract - Skills First program - version 3
2021 Dual sector VET Funding Contract - Skills First program - version 3
2021 VET Funding Contract - Skills First program (Non-Victorian based training provider delivering to a National Enterprise) - version 3
2021 Guidelines
Eligibility
These Guidelines describe the requirements that training providers must apply when assessing and evidencing a student’s eligibility for Skills First.
2021 Guidelines About Eligibility - version 3
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.
Apprenticeship/Traineeship Training Delivery
These Guidelines detail additional requirements that training providers must apply when delivering Skills First training to Apprentices and Trainees.
2021 Guidelines About Apprenticeship/Traineeship Training Delivery
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
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.
Concessions
This factsheet explains the student concession entitlement, how to check and document a concession, the Department’s payment contribution, and training providers’ reporting requirements.
Consideration of literacy and numeracy skills as part of the Pre-Training Review
This fact sheet explains how training providers should consider a student’s literacy and numeracy as part of a Pre-Training Review.
Disallowed Persons
This fact sheet helps training providers understand and comply with the Disallowed Person requirements in the Contract.
Evidence of Participation
This factsheet is designed to help training providers meet the Department’s expectations for documenting Evidence of Participation under the Skills First program.
JobTrainer - understanding the new JobTrainer arrangements
This fact sheet explains the Contract arrangements for the JobTrainer Fund, including student eligibility and enrolment, fees and payments, allocations, and reporting.
JobTrainer - deciding how to report JobTrainer students
This fact sheet explains how training providers can enrol and report JobTrainer students to ensure their organisation’s allocation of JobTrainer places is maximised and students pay the lowest available tuition fee.
Key features of the VET Funding Contract
This fact sheet gives a simple overview of the main features of the VET Funding Contract.
Quality in online delivery
This fact sheet gives an overview of requirements about online training and assessment under the Skills First program.
Recordkeeping requirements
This fact sheet gives an overview of the key recordkeeping requirements under the Skills First program.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Using electronic signatures
This factsheet helps training providers understand how to meet the Department’s expectations when using electronic signatures.
Additional contract resources
Questions and answers about the VET Funding Contract
This Q&A answers some common questions to help training providers understand key concepts in the VET Funding Contract and Guidelines.
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.
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 - 96.66kb)
Compliance expectations and Framework (docx - 486.49kb)
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
For information, see:
Standards for registered training organisations 2015, and
Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).
Practical placement guidelines
For guidance for registered training organisations when arranging practical placements for students undertaking vocational training, see
Practical placement guidelines.
Purchasing guides
For copies of purchasing guides, see
Victorian purchasing guides.
Victorian VET student statistical collection guidelines
For a copy of Victorian VET student statistical collection guidelines and other related documents, see
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. see
ComLaw.
Victorian Acts
For copies of the below Acts, see
Victorian legislation and parliamentary documents.
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Audit Act 1994
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Disability Act 2006
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Education and Training Reform Act 2006
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Electronic Transactions (Victoria) Act 2000
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Equal Opportunity Act 1995
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Freedom of Information Act 1982
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Information Privacy Act 2000
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Penalty Interest Rates Act 1983 (Victoria)
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Public Records Act 1973
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Ombudsman Act 1973
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Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities
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Working With Children Act 2005
Outside websites
Previous years agreements
For students that commenced training between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013:
For students that commenced training between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2012:
For students that commenced training between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2011:
For students that commenced training between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2010:
For students that commenced training between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2009: