Smart and Skilled

What is Smart and Skilled funding?

Smart and Skilled is a Government funded training grant program that provides people living or working in NSW with access to government subsidised competency- based training courses in a range of courses and qualifications.

As an approved Smart and Skilled training provider Atwea College can help individuals and employers to take advantage of Government funding to develop the skills needed to boost productivity, performance and for career advancement.

Smart and Skilled NSW is a way for individuals or employers to undertake training at reduced cost is to obtain funding subsidies through Government funded training programs such as NSW Fee Free.

Smart and Skilled funding is just not for individuals needing to gain a particular qualification or partial qualification. We help businesses and organisations to access Smart and Skilled funding to gain customised training in areas critical to their business success that align with the Government’s priority Skills Set list.

Who is eligible for Smart and Skilled funding?

To be eligible for NSW Smart and Skilled funding you must be:

• 15 years old or over
• no longer at school
• living or working in NSW
• an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, humanitarian visa holder or New Zealand citizen.

If you meet all four criteria then you’re eligible to enrol in a government-subsidised course with an approved Smart and Skilled training provider such as Atwea College.

Your eligibility for a government-subsidised Smart and Skilled course no longer depends on your previous qualifications. While previous qualifications do not affect eligibility, they may affect the student fee.

The evidence you will need to provide is found on our ‘How to enrol’ page at the identification and evidence documents

Enrol with us

Courses available for Smart and Skilled funding

We have Smart and Skilled funding caps in NSW regions including:

• Hunter
• Newcastle and Lake Macquarie
• Mid North Coast

For Traineeships, Apprenticeships and SBATS Atwea College can enrol eligible students from anywhere in NSW.

For more information on Traineeships and Apprenticeships visit the NSW Government website

For more information on School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships visit the NESA website

Smart and Skilled course fees/prices

Smart and Skilled students contribute, on average, between 10 per cent to 45 per cent of the course cost. The NSW Government subsidises the remaining amount. The student fee is generally less for lower-level courses.

A single set of fees applies to government-subsidised training delivered by approved providers such as Atwea College.  Students with disabilities, students who receive Australian Government benefits or allowances and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students may qualify for additional fee exemptions or concessions. Your choice of training provider does not affect the fee paid for any Smart and Skilled qualification.

The Smart and Skilled Fee Administration Policy can be found using the link below:

Smart and Skilled Fee Administration Policy

The Smart and Skilled Consumer Protection Policy can be found using the link below:

Smart and Skilled Consumer Protection Policy

The Atwea Fees and Refunds Policy can be found using the link below:

Atwea Fees and Refund Policy

What about if I am a business?

For businesses and organisations seeking customised group training, we can apply for funding on your behalf to maximise training subsidies for eligible qualifications or part qualifications.

How to apply for Smart and Skilled funding

Atwea College can assist you, your business or organisation with enrolment and the paperwork.

To apply for NSW Smart and Skilled funding with Atwea College please contact us on 024925 4200 or [email protected]

Unique Student Identifier

Atwea College will need your Unique Student Identifier (USI).  Everyone undertaking nationally-recognised vocational training in Australia needs a USI. It enables students to access their training records and results. If you don’t have one you can get one easily by going to the Australian Government’s USI website.

https://www.usi.gov.au/students/get-a-usi

You may need to provide Atwea College proof of identity/residency documents such as your passport, citizenship certificate, drivers licence or Medicare card as well as complete a form to consent to the use and disclosure of personal information.

More information about Smart and Skilled

To find out more information about how to use NSW Smart and Skilled funding to meet your training needs please call us on 02 4925 4200 or email us on [email protected]

You can also find more information on the NSW Government Department of Education website

To find out more about the courses we offer visit our Skills Training page on our website:

https://atwea.edu.au/courses/