Frequently asked questions about Skills for All ICAN for Skills for All
Training Providers
Who is an ICAN student?
ICAN stands for Innovative Community Action Network. ICANs improve the educational and training options
and outcomes for disadvantaged young people. An ICAN student is enrolled in a state government
secondary school and attends education and training options outside of the school campus while the school
retains duty of care and its responsibilities for the student.
What is a Flexible Learning Options (FLO) Coordinator?
FLO stands for Flexible Learning Options and is the program within a government secondary school that
supports an ICAN student. A FLO Coordinator is a teacher within the school who keeps track of ICAN
students and their learning activities. The FLO Coordinator assists with organising learning activities for
ICAN students and approves payment for additional learning activities.
What is an ICAN Case Manager?
Every ICAN student has an ICAN Case Manager. The Case Manager is “outsourced” by the school to help
the student and their family with issues that threaten the student’s ability to stay engaged and succeed in
learning and life.
What is the Skills for All ICAN scheme?
The Skills for All ICAN scheme funds full VET qualifications for eligible ICAN students. It is not the same as
the Training Guarantee for SACE Students (TGSS) scheme or the Australian School Based
Apprenticeship/traineeship (ASBA) scheme. Skills for All funded ICAN students are not on a SACE
completion pathway.
Who is eligible for the Skills for All ICAN scheme?

Student is 16 years or over and enrolled in a government secondary school

Is an ICAN student

Has an ICAN case manager assigned to them

Meets required minimum levels across the ICAN Student Engagement Matrix

Has literacy and numeracy levels adequate to commence training and be successful

Successfully applies for and is issued with an ICAN Approval Code by the Representative of the
Minister.
Frequently asked questions about the ICAN for Skills for All Training Providers – UPDATED 7/07/2014
www.skills.sa.gov.au
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What does ‘minimum levels across the ICAN Students Engagement Matrix’ mean?
Twice a year an ICAN student is assessed against the ICAN Student Engagement Matrix by the FLO
Coordinator and ICAN Case Manager, using a number of assessment techniques and tools. The results are
recorded by the school. The matrix looks at how engaged the student is in terms of wellbeing, relationships
and involvement in learning. The student must be at a specific level of engagement before they are
considered eligible for the Skills for All ICAN scheme. It is the responsibility of the FLO Coordinator and the
ICAN Case Manager to complete the engagement matrix document with the student. The required level is
shown in the Engagement matrix (PDF).
What is meant by ‘adequate literacy and numeracy levels’?
Every course places certain demands on the literacy and numeracy abilities of learners. Skills for All
Training Providers should have a clear understanding about the literacy and numeracy skills and capabilities
a student should have to be able to confidently begin training in their selected course and to be ultimately
successful.
Skills for All Training Providers must clearly and explicitly communicate their expectations about literacy and
numeracy levels to the ICAN Case Manager and the student to assist them in making an informed decision
about whether the student should enrol in a particular course or not.
The ICAN Case Manager is responsible for deciding whether the student has the required levels of literacy
and numeracy. A range of tools are available to assist in making this decision, including the Compass online
literacy and numeracy assessment developed by ACER (see www.acer.edu.au/compass ).
Can ICAN students access Training Guarantee for SACE Students (TGSS)?
Yes, but this would mean that the student must be on a SACE completion pathway, which is unlikely for
ICAN students.
If an ICAN student wishes to participate in TGSS instead of Skills for All ICAN, they will need to meet the
TGSS criteria and be planning to complete the SACE as would any other TGSS student. (The TGSS criteria
are available in the TGSS Guideline for Training Providers at www.skills.sa.gov.au/traininglearning/training-for-school-students/training-guarantee-for-sace-students )
What courses can a student access under Skills for All ICAN?
The student may apply to access a course on the Skills for All Funded Training List that is likely to lead the
student to sustainable employment or further vocational education and training.
This is most likely to be a course at certificate II or certificate III level. ICAN students may not apply to access
foundation skills qualifications.
Do Skills for All training subsidy rules apply?
Yes. Skills for All ICAN operates on the understanding that the student’s school will accept payment
responsibility for any associated course or materials fees that apply under the Skills for All training subsidy
rules. There are no course fees at Certificate I or II level. There are course fees that apply to Certificate III
and above qualifications and concession rates will be applied where applicable to the student enrolling.
Frequently asked questions about Skills for All ICAN for Skills for All Training Providers – UPDATED 21/07/2014
www.skills.sa.gov.au
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Who supports ICAN student’s needs?
Skills for All ICAN operates on the understanding that the ICAN Case Manager will remain the primary case
manager for ICAN students and assist them with managing any problems that arise during their training.
Training Providers are not required to provide any support above or beyond the level of student support
normally provided to a student, including making reasonable adjustment.
What are the expectations for students who have been assessed by the Department
of Education and Child Development (DECD) as having a disability?
If the ICAN student has a DECD assessed disability, the school may provide additional resources to support
the student during training depending of the level of assessed disability. The ICAN Referral and Application
for Exemption form identifies the disability in Part A and must be discussed with the ICAN Case Manager
and student.
What do the FLO Coordinator and ICAN Case Manager need to do?
FLO Coordinators and ICAN Case Managers follow a specific process in seeking to enrol an ICAN student
into a Skills for All funded course to be delivered by a Skills for All Training Provider. The process is detailed
in the ICAN Referral and Application for Exemption Form (PDF).
The process includes: counselling the student to determine suitability; consulting with the Skills for All
Infoline; consulting with a Skills for All Training Provider about specific course requirements; arranging
counselling for the student with a Career Development Service Provider; and seeking approval from the
Representative of the Minister for the student to be enrolled in a specified course with a Skills for All Training
Provider, which will result in a 10 character ICAN Approval Code for the student.
What does the Skills for All Training Provider need to do?
When the ICAN Case Manager and student meet face-to-face with you they will provide you with a
completed ICAN Referral and Application Form that confirms the student has been approved and includes
the 10 character ICAN Approval Code.
During the interview with the student and ICAN Case Manager, you need to make a final determination that
the student is ready for entry into the full VET qualification they are applying for. You should do the
following:


Review the completed ICAN Referral and Application Form:
o
Check that the Representative of the Minister has approved the student and has provided an
ICAN Approval Code. Note that the Approval Code is only for the student to undertake the
course that is specified in Part B.
o
Take careful note of the comments made by the Career Development Service Provider in
Part C
o
If the student is seeking to enrol in a certificate III course (or higher), take careful note of the
comments in Part D.
Interview the student to determine whether you believe the student is ready to undertake the course.
Through the interview process you should engage directly with the student to discuss their:
o
goals and aspirations
o
commitment to a full qualification
o
understanding of learning in an adult environment and the students own expectations.
Frequently asked questions about Skills for All ICAN for Skills for All Training Providers – UPDATED 21/07/2014
www.skills.sa.gov.au
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You can use this discussion with the student to assist in confirming the student is ready for entry to a full
VET qualification. If you assess the student as not yet ready they will have the option to re-apply for entry at
a later date.
What does the Skills for All Training Provider do if the student is deemed ready to
enter a full qualification?
If the student is deemed ready to enter a full qualification then you can proceed with your normal enrolment
processes. When setting up the Training Account you need to identify the student as a secondary school
student, select the Training Contract option and enter the 10 character ICAN Approval Code in the Training
Contract text field.
This is all explained in Part E of the ICAN Referral and Application Form.
You must complete and sign Part E of the form and provide a copy to the ICAN Case Manager.
You must also retain a copy of the completed from in your official records and make it available for
inspection by the Representative of the Minister if required.
What happens if a student is deemed not ready by the Skills for All Training
Provider?
If you assess the student as not yet ready for entry into a full qualification they will have the option to reapply for entry at a later date. You are required to give immediate verbal feedback to the student and to the
ICAN Case Manager as to why the student is not yet ready so that the student can work towards becoming
ready at a later date.
Who pays for any course fees for certificate IIIs and above?
In completing and signing Part A of the referral form, the FLO Coordinator has agreed that the school will
pay for any course fees for certificate IIIs and above. You can invoice the school for these fees under the
Skills for All training subsidy rules, using their normal processes.
What documents do Skills for All Training Providers have to keep for the pilot?
You will need to complete Part D of the ICAN Referral and Application Form and retain a copy as part of the
student’s file for auditing purposes.
ICAN Approval Code format
To successfully create a Training Account for an ICAN/FLO student, the ICAN Approval Code needs to be
input into VETA as a 10 character alphanumeric sequence of the form ICAN###### (i.e. the alpha sequence
“ICAN” followed by six digits). The ICAN Approval Code is unique to the student and to the course they are
applying to undertake.
Frequently asked questions about Skills for All ICAN for Skills for All Training Providers – UPDATED 21/07/2014
www.skills.sa.gov.au
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