Innoven - Skills Reform

Securing Jobs for Your Future

The Victorian Government’s Securing Jobs for your Future: Skills Victoria reforms were announced in August 2008. Some changes to the TAFE sector are significant. Existing students, and those intending to enrol at GOTAFE, are encouraged to make themselves familiar with these changes prior to their implementation on 1st July 2009. The following is a summary of some of the important Skills Reform changes which will occur on 1st July 2009.

Course Categories

Foundation Skills	Any qualification level - Language, literacy and job readiness
Skills Creation	Certificates I, II, VCE and VCAL
Apprenticeships and Traineeships	Any qualification level
Skills Building	Certificates III and IV
Skills Deepening	Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Vocational Graduate Certificate and Vocational Graduate Diploma

Eligibility

Students undertaking Skills Deepening level courses, and the new Skills for Growth Program must meet Eligibility Criteria to have government subsidised tuition fees.

Five steps to determining eligibility are:
1. Citizenship/residency
2. Age
3. Level of course applied for
4. Prior qualification
5. Individual exemption

To check your eligibility for government subsidised tuition fees at Skills Deepening level Refer: GOTAFE Skills Deepening Eligibility Checklist

Student Eligibility Exemptions

There are some opportunities for the exemption from Eligibility Criteria based on certain occupations and significant employment disadvantage. Each case is assessed on its merit by the Institute.

Fees and Charges

The new course levels will be used to set the tuition fees for courses commencing after 1st July 2009.

Some course tuition fees will reduce, some will stay the same and some will increase.

The government subsidised Tuition Fee Schedule at GOTAFE from July 1st 2009 to 31st December 2009 will be:

Course Level	Rate per SCH	Minimum	Maximum 6 month period
Foundation Skills	$1.08	$50	$250
Skills Creation	$1.37	$105	$438
Apprenticeships and Traineeships	$1.37	$57	$452
Skills Building	$1.41	$120	$500
Skills Deepening	$2.71	$225	$750

Student Fee Concessions

Concessions on tuition fees are available to students enrolling in courses below Skills Deepening level. The concession fee is the same as the minimum fee.

Concessions are given if you have one of the following:

Commonwealth Health Care card
Pensioner Concession Card
Veterans Gold Card

Student Fee Maintenance

Students who commence their course prior to 1st July 2009 and are continuing their training in the same course past that date, will have their fees maintained at the pre July 1st 2009 level ($1.37 per Nominal Hour). There is also an option to ‘opt’ out of fee maintenance at a later date.

http://www.skills.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/45145/Guide-for-Students-V1.2.pdf

Student Loans

Government subsidised tuition fees will increase at most levels, and some students, because they are ineligible for a government subsidised place, will be offered full fee paying places.

To assist students with the increase in tuition fees at Skills Deepening level, VET FEE HELP tuition fee assistance may be available.

Goulburn Ovens TAFE has been approved as a VET provider under the VET FEE-HELP Assistance Scheme and will be able to offer VET FEE-HELP assistance to ongoing and new students from July 2009.

VET FEE HELP is an Australian (Federal) Government loan scheme for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. Students studying at the Skills Deepening level may be able to apply.

VET FEE HELP is an income contingent loan (like HECCS) which means that it is re-payed via the Taxation system once your annual salary reaches a set amount. That amount is currently $43,000 per annum. Application for VET FEE HELP is not means tested.

Students wishing to access VET FEE-HELP assistance are invited to discuss their eligibility with Goulburn Ovens TAFE Administration.

For more information about VET FEE HELP:

http://www.deewr.gov.au/vetfeehelp

http://www.dest.gov.au/Student_and_Parent_Information.htm

Skills for Growth Program

Skills for Growth Program is a program that is free of charge to small to medium businesses, designed to assist to identify strategic business aims and objectives.

The program involves assessing the skills of the existing workforce and identifying opportunities for skills development and training.

For more information about the Skills for Growth program:

http://www.skills.vic.gov.au/industry/skills-for-growth-the-workforce-development-program

Further Information

Students are also encouraged to view the extensive information on the following Skills Victoria websites and links:

http://www.skills.vic.gov.au/

http://www.skills.vic.gov.au/corporate/directions/skillsreform

http://www.skills.vic.gov.au/tafe_students/student-faqs

Page updated on May 25, 2009 by Webmaster CM
Authorised by: Student Administration Manager HA

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