Queensland Government funded training programs

Career Start

From 1 July 2025, Career Start will give job seekers access to free and reduced cost training that industries need and leads to jobs, provide more support to achieve positive student outcomes and deliver training where it is needed across Queensland. Career Start will provide eligible Queenslanders with:

• Access to low-cost certificate III qualifications in priority and emerging industries
• Access to free and low-fee apprenticeship and traineeship training in priority and emerging industries
• Expanded access to foundation skills such as language, literacy, numeracy and employability skills
• Increased access to training in regional and remote areas

Career Start will replace existing funding available through the Certificate 3 Guarantee and User Choice programs.

Are you eligible?

To be eligible to enrol in the Career Start program, prospective students must:

• Be a permanent Queensland resident
• Be an Australian citizen, or Australian permanent resident (includes humanitarian entrant), or temporary resident with the right visa and work permits on the pathway to permanent residency, or a New Zealand citizen
• Not currently be enrolled in a qualification
• Not have previously completed a certificate III or higher-level qualification within the last 10 years for a general training pathway
• Not exceed a maximum of two government-funded apprenticeships/traineeships

Career Start Eligibility for Traineeship and Apprenticeship Pathways

• Are currently employed as a Queensland apprentice or trainee (under a registered training contract) in an eligible apprenticeship or traineeship qualification through this Program
• Not currently be enrolled in a qualification
• Not have previously completed a certificate III or higher-level qualification within the last 10 years for a general training pathway
• Not exceed a maximum of two government-funded apprenticeships/traineeships within a 10-year period

(b) Students will be funded a maximum of two government funded apprenticeships/traineeships across the School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SATs), Career Start and Career Boost Programs. The two apprenticeships/traineeships can be undertaken in this Career Start Program. (c)  Students can receive funding for only one apprenticeship or traineeship at a time. If two training contracts are registered at the same time, the contract with the earliest start date will qualify for funding, provided all other eligibility requirements are met.

Career Start Co-Contribution Fees

Students undertaking Certificate III and above vocational qualifications, and skill sets, as well as non-concessional students enrolled in lower-level vocational qualifications, are required to contribute to the cost of their training through the payment of a co-contribution fee. The only exceptions to the fee condition are: Concessional student status applies when the student falls into one of the following categories:

• Holds a Health Care, Veteran or Pensioner Concession Card issued under Commonwealth law, or is the partner or a dependant of a person who holds such a card and is named on the card
• Holds an official form issued under Commonwealth law confirming that they, their partner, or the person of whom they are a dependant is entitled to concessions under a Health Care, Veteran or Pensioner Concession Card
• Identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• Has a disability
• Is an adult prisoner

 

Full fee exemption:

Efficiency Works must apply a full co-contribution fee exemption where the student falls into one of the following categories:

• Skilling Queenslanders for Work or SQW participants – this training is provided fee-free to students with any additional costs met through SQW funding
• Specific fee-free training programs as announced by the Queensland Government
• Foundation skills – this training is fee-free
• Lower-level vocational qualifications for concessional students – this training can be provided fee-free to students, as determined by Efficiency Works

Career Start – Student Co-Contribution Fees – General Pathway

Qualification Code	Qualification Description	Concession Amount per Qualification	Non-Concessional Amount per Qualification
MSS30322	Certificate III in Competitive Systems and Practices	$1,680.00	$2,100.00

General Path Funding Fact Sheet

Career Start – Student Co-Contribution Fees – Traineeship and Apprenticeship Pathways

Fees	Co-Contribution Amount	MSS30322 Certificate III in Competitive Systems and Practices
Full Fee	Calculated at $1.60 per nominal hour for unit of competency	$752.00
Partial Exemption	Calculated at $1.60 per nominal hour for unit of competency x 40%	$300.80
Full Exemption	No additional payment	$0.00

General Path Funding Fact Sheet

Fees and Refund Policy

The Fees and Refund Policy applies to all Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses delivered by Efficiency Works. The Fees and Refund Policy can be found here. Please click here to access the Refund application form.

Career Boost

Overview & Objectives

Career Boost provides eligible individuals with one subsidised training place in either a Certificate IV, Diploma, or Advanced Diploma qualification under the general training pathway or a higher-level apprenticeship/traineeship at certificate IV or above and up to two subsidised skill sets. The Program delivers training designed to help individuals develop the higher-level skills necessary to secure employment, advance their careers, or progress to further education and training through related university or tertiary qualifications.

Are you eligible? – Career Boost Eligibility for General Training Pathways

• Aged 15 years or older
• Not be a school student
• Be a permanent Queensland resident
• Be an Australian citizen, or Australian permanent resident (includes humanitarian entrant), or a temporary resident with the right visa and work permits on the pathway to permanent residency, or a New Zealand citizen (for more information see Visa eligibility under VET investment programs)
• Not already have a Certificate IV or higher qualification (including tertiary qualification) completed within the last 10 years (qualifications started as a school student, and foundation skills qualifications, do not count)
• Not be enrolled in any other qualification, whether funded or unfunded, except for foundation skills qualifications

Career Boost – Student Co-Contribution Fees – General Pathway

Qualification Code	Qualification Description	Concession Amount per Qualification	Non-Concessional Amount per Qualification
MSS40322	Certificate IV in Competitive Systems and Practices	$1,680.00	$2,100.00

General Path Funding Fact Sheet

Career Boost Eligibility for Traineeship and Apprenticeship Pathways

• Are currently employed as a Queensland apprentice or trainee (under a registered training contract) in an eligible apprenticeship or traineeship
• Qualification through this Program. This eligibility requirement does not apply to individuals seeking to enrol in a skill set;
• Not be a school student
• Not currently be enrolled in any other qualification, whether funded or unfunded, except for foundation skills qualifications
• Not already have a Certificate IV or higher qualification (including tertiary qualification) completed within the last 10 years (qualifications started as a school student, and foundation skills qualifications, do not count)
• Not exceed a maximum of two government-funded apprenticeships/traineeships within a 10-year period
• within a 10-year period.

b) Students will be funded a maximum of two government funded apprenticeships/traineeships across the School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SATs), Career Start and Career Boost Programs in a ten-year period. c) Students can receive funding for only one apprenticeship or traineeship at a time. If two training contracts are registered at the same time, the contract with the earliest start date will qualify for funding, provided all other eligibility requirements are met. d) Suppliers must ensure students meet any qualification eligibility exemptions and/or restrictions as specified within the Queensland Subsidised Training List (QSTL) (where applicable). e)  Eligible Students have access to two funded Skill Sets under the Career Boost program.

Career Boost – Student Co-Contribution Fees – Traineeship and Apprenticeship Pathways

Student may receive a partial or full exemption of the contribution fee if they fall into one of the following exemption categories: Partial Exemption:

• The participant was or will be under 17 years of age at the end of February in the year in which the SAS provides training, and the participant is not at school and has not completed year 12.
• The participant holds a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card issued under Commonwealth law, or is the partner or a dependent of a person who holds a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card and is named on the card.
• The participant issues the SAS with an official form under Commonwealth law confirming that the participant, his or her partner or the person of whom the participant is a dependent, is entitled to concessions under a Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card.
• The participant is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.

Full Exemption:

• Where payment of the student contribution fee would cause extreme financial hardship, then the SAS may waive these fees.
• Where the Queensland Government, as represented by the departmental officer responsible for the User Choice budget, advises in writing that fees are optional. On receipt of such advice, the SAS may choose not to collect the student contribution fee. In this circumstance, any decision by the SAS not to collect fees does not create a liability for the department. The SAS may not apply for reimbursement by the department of fee revenue foregone.
• Where credit transfer/national recognition has been applied to a unit of competency/module.
• The participant is a school-based apprentice or trainee.
• The participant is undertaking a qualification as part of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work – Work Skills Traineeship Program.

Fees	Co-Contribution Amount	Certificate III in Competitive Systems and Practices	Certificate IV in Competitive Systems and Practices
Full Fee	Calculated at $1.60 per nominal hour for unit of competency	$752.00	$880.00
Partial Exemption	Calculated at $1.60 per nominal hour for unit of competency x 40%	$300.80	$352.00
Full Exemption	No additional payment	$0.00	$0.00

Efficiency Works has been approved by DTET to deliver Career Start and Career Boost in the following locations within Queensland:

• Brisbane

• Cairns

• Central Queensland

• Darling Downs – Maranoa

• Gold Coast

• Ipswich

• Logan – Beaudesert

• Mackay – Isaac – Whitsunday

• Moreton Bay – North

• Moreton Bay – South

• Sunshine Coast

Fees and Refund Policy

The Fees and Refund Policy applies to all Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses delivered by Efficiency Works. The Fees and Refund Policy can be found here. Please click here to access the Refund application form. To maximise opportunities for individuals living in Queensland on long-term pathways to Australian permanent residency, visa subclasses which are eligible for subsidised training in Queensland have been identified. Common features of these visa subclasses include permanent stay status, eligibility to receive Australian Government Centrelink support, and the ability to apply for permanent residency status after defined periods of time. Check your eligibility here.