WorkReady frequently asked questions
Published 4 July 2016
1. What is WorkReady?
WorkReady brings together government subsidised training, employment and skills initiatives and investment into
one flexible strategy.
WorkReady is being phased in from 1 July 2015 in three phases, from 2015-16 to 2018-19, with full
implementation in 2019-20.
Through WorkReady the Government’s investment in training, employment and skills is targeting the areas of
greatest strategic need to industry and a transforming economy.
It has been designed to improve training completions and strengthen connections to employment opportunities.
WorkReady supports direct connections between training, skills formation and jobs and connects people to the
training and employment activity best suited to them over a working lifetime.
Building a skilled and capable workforce, able to fill current and emerging job opportunities will be the hallmark of
WorkReady’s success.
WorkReady responds to the needs of strategic industry sectors that support economic transformation and jobs in
priority areas for government.
2. What does WorkReady offer?
WorkReady has been designed so that students, job seekers, employers, industry, the training sectors and
government have the flexibility to respond to changing social, geographic and economic circumstances and
opportunities.
The Government wants people to be in the best position to successfully complete their training course or
employment project and move into higher level qualifications and/or a job.
Participants receive an upfront assessment of their learning and support needs which includes using a foundation
skills assessment tool. This identifies literacy and numeracy issues that need to be immediately addressed.
Based on the assessment and individual preferences, people are able to access training, employment and skills
development options from three streams of WorkReady activity:

preparatory – includes foundation literacy and numeracy skills courses, prevocational courses and Adult
Community Education (ACE) courses

industry entry level – includes courses designed for direct entry into a job, traineeship or apprenticeship; and
employment projects developed with employers at the local and regional level for job seekers who have
barriers to employment

upskilling – higher level courses, skill sets and skill clusters, usually undertaken by people already in a job to
improve their skills or to reskill. This stream will include a selection of priority courses identified through
industry consultation that are imperative to meeting the government’s economic and strategic objectives.
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Students and participants
3. Will I have to pay course fees under WorkReady?
Students will continue to pay course fees under WorkReady, unless specified otherwise.
Fees represent a contribution to the total cost of the course and are in addition to the subsidy that the government
pays to a training provider to deliver a course.
Any fee is set by training providers, not the government.
Foundation skill courses and literacy and numeracy bridging units drawn from the new Foundation Skills Training
Package will continue to be fully subsidised and accessible to individuals who are assessed to need them.
Concessions will continue to be available for those who are eligible. Visit concessions for more information.
For more information about costs visit how much does training cost.
4. Am I eligible to participate in WorkReady?
WorkReady provides people with opportunities to study nationally accredited courses, and participate in local
employment projects, depending on their previous education and current employment status.
You may be eligible for a government subsidised training place if you either live or work in South Australia, and
you are:

an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or

a permanent Australian resident, or

the holder of a South Australian state sponsored visa on a pathway to permanent residency.
You also need to be one of the following:

aged 16 years or over and not enrolled at school, or

aged 16 years or over, enrolled in school and undertaking an approved subsidised activity, or

undertaking training through a Training Contract as an apprentice or trainee in identified courses.
Check your eligibility using the check your eligibility tool.
Job seekers who need some specific skills and support before being in a position to get a job can access
employment projects in their local area. These projects are designed to lead to a job outcome. Level of prior
education and registration with an employment services provider contracted by the Australian Government will
determine the level of training and employment support that can be accessed through WorkReady.
There may be conditions additional to this eligibility criteria for access to some WorkReady activities. Prospective
applicants should refer to published guidelines for those activities or contact the Skills and Employment Infoline
on 1800 506 266 for details.
5. What can I access under WorkReady?
The types of training, skill development and employment activities you can access through WorkReady depends
on your previous education, employment status, age and the conditions under which a course or project attracts a
subsidy from the government.
All participants will receive an upfront assessment of their learning and support needs. The process will involve
the provider asking questions, giving you more information and doing some initial assessments to get a good
understanding of your current capabilities and any supports you might need to help you to plan for and succeed in
your training. The process also enables you to find out more about the provider and the training to ensure they
are the right fit for you.
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Subsidised courses:
Courses subsidised through WorkReady are published on the Subsidised Training List.
Find the List together with the explanatory notes at Subsidised Training List.
The amount of subsidy a course attracts depends on a range of economic and social criteria used to assess its
‘public value’. Government investment in skills, training and employment is aligned with jobs in areas of economic
priority for the state.
Courses not included on the Subsidised Training List may still be delivered by Registered Training Organisations
(RTOs). You can check all available courses and providers by visiting the Australian Government Department of
Education Training website at training.gov.au.
For people without a non-school qualification or unemployed job seekers who are registered with an employment
services provider contracted by the Australian Government, WorkReady offers:

one foundation skills course (if you are assessed to need it)

one Certificate II course

two courses from Certificate III to Advanced Diploma level

up to five bridging units at every qualification level (if assessed to need them)

unlimited priority courses.
For people who already hold a non-school qualification up to Certificate II level, WorkReady offers:

one foundation skills course (if you are assessed to need it)

two courses from Certificate III to Advanced Diploma level

up to five bridging units at every qualification level (if assessed to need them)

unlimited priority courses.
For people who have completed a Certificate III or above (including university qualifications), WorkReady offers:

one foundation skills course (if you are assessed to need it)

one course from Certificate III to Advanced Diploma level

up to five bridging units at every qualification level (if assessed to need them)

unlimited priority courses.
Students can be enrolled in up to two subsidised courses at a time.
Check your eligibility using the check your eligibility tool.
Learner Support Services will be available for students who need additional support to complete their
qualifications.
Eligible job seekers with language, literacy and numeracy skill needs must be referred to the Australian
Government’s Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) or Adult Migrant English programs before they can
access WorkReady accredited training, including foundation skills training.
Additional considerations apply to eligible school enrolled students. Refer to Training Guarantee for SACE
Students.
Jobs First:
The Jobs First approach funds training courses and tailored employment projects where there is a direct
connection to jobs.
Jobs First STL Projects include foundation skills courses, prevocational courses and courses which lead directly
into entry level jobs. These courses are listed on the Subsidised Training List.
These are tailored training projects for specific groups, industries and regions which involve employers in the
selection of participants, delivery approaches and the validation of outcomes. These initiatives typically focus on
delivering full qualifications leading into a job.
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Quality work placements and transitions to employment (in addition to accredited training) are central features of
this approach.
Learner Support Services are available for students who need additional support to complete their qualification.
The Jobs First STL Projects guidelines are available at apply to vary your contract.
Jobs First Employment Projects are tailored employment initiatives for specific groups, industries and regions
that assist people to either progress towards employment or move directly into a job.
These employment projects typically provide combinations of accredited and non-accredited training with
additional support services that address barriers to employment, such as individual or family case management,
structured mentoring, work experience, career services, building work readiness, and brokerage into a job.
Guidelines for these projects are available at forms and publications for training providers.
6. If I have already done training under Skills for All will it impact on what I can access
under WorkReady?
At your first enrolment in WorkReady your highest level qualification, regardless of how it was funded, will
determine what you can access under WorkReady.
If you are enrolled in a Skills for All or a WorkReady subsidised course and complete the course on or after 1
October 2015, it will be counted towards your WorkReady offer. Check your eligibility using the check your
eligibility tool.
7. Will VET FEE-HELP still be available?
Students enrolled in Diploma or Advanced Diploma qualifications with a Registered Training Organisation offering
VET FEE-HELP may be eligible for a student loan.
For information about VET FEE-HELP visit the Australian Government StudyAssist website.
8. What financial support is available?
Concessions will continue to be available for those eligible.
WorkReady approved providers are required to offer students a concession if they:

hold a health care card

hold a pensioner concession card

hold a pensioner concession card issued by the Department of Veteran Affairs

are a prison inmate, a detainee, on remand, held in a South Australian institution in connection with the
commission of an offence, or a child in a South Australian detention centre older than 16 years.
Training providers also offer a range of options which allow students to pay for training as they go, fees by
instalment and other arrangements so students should not anticipate paying the total cost of a course upfront,
particularly if they are studying part-time.
People who are or have been under Guardianship of the Minister (GOM) for Education and Child Development
are eligible for exemption from student course fees.
Please call our Infoline on 1800 506 266 for more information.
We can talk with you about your ideas and refer you to the best place for help.
9. What will WorkReady mean for me if I am an existing student currently completing
publicly subsidised training?
All students enrolled in a subsidised course will be able to complete their training with no change to the subsidy
paid by the South Australian Government.
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Providers
10. Which courses are subsidised under WorkReady?
The Subsidised Training List publishes courses that may attract a government subsidy.
Find the List together with the explanatory notes at Subsidised Training List.
WorkReady funding is targeted to strategic industry sectors that support economic transformation and jobs in
priority areas for government.
A public value assessment, incorporating key economic and social indicators, is used to inform decisions about
courses that will attract public subsidies, as well as the level of subsidy, for each course.
The independent Training and Skills Commission will continue to provide feedback to the Department of State
Development following consultation with employers and providers.
The Department of State Development will also consult regularly with industry and regional groups, networks and
representative bodies.
11. Who will do the upfront assessment process and when will this occur?
Upfront assessment of individual needs is a key element of WorkReady and is designed to improve completions.
WorkReady providers of full qualifications will conduct an Upfront Assessment of Need with an individual prior to
enrolment. This process is designed to gather information about the individual that assists the provider to develop
a customised learning and support plan to help the individual to achieve their training goals.
12. How do I become a WorkReady provider?
Existing Skills for All providers’ funding contracts will continue until they expire or are otherwise relinquished
because the organisation has moved to a WorkReady contract.
Students will be able to complete their training under the same arrangements that applied when their training
account was established.
From 1 July 2015 existing Skills for All training providers remain able to enrol students in courses according to the
conditions listed on the Subsidised Training List depending on their existing scope of approved activity.
Successful applicants will become WorkReady service providers and be offered a WorkReady Head Deed with
the Minister for Higher Education and Skills.
Approved WorkReady providers will then be eligible to deliver WorkReady subsidised activities.
Organisations can find further information and apply for a WorkReady Head Deed at apply to become a
WorkReady service provider.
13. Are only Adult Community Education (ACE) providers funded for foundation skills?
No. Approved WorkReady training providers who have the Foundation Skills Training Package on their Schedule
of Courses and have skilled/specialised trainers who can deliver full qualifications, may be eligible for funding.
Refer to the guideline for use of and enrolment in foundation skills courses.
14. Do arrangements for school students change under WorkReady?
Eligible school students undertaking TGSS approved courses at Certificate II level through Training Guarantee for
SACE Students (TGSS) and school based training contracts (ASBAs) arrangements will be exempt from paying a
course fee. Eligible school students undertaking courses at Certificate II level through Innovative Community
Action Network (ICAN) arrangements will be exempt from paying a course fee. All other subsidised courses
undertaken by school students will require a co-contribution from the student, parent or school.
The subsidised courses school students can choose from are listed on the Subsidised Training List.
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Schools and students will continue to have choice of provider from those with TGSS courses on their approved
scope.
15. How will I know how many students I can enrol in a course?
Subsidised qualifications:
In 2015-16 private providers will be able to deliver courses through demand driven trades, TGSS, school based
training contracts and Jobs First projects.
Jobs First STL Projects include foundation skills courses, prevocational courses and courses which lead directly
into entry level jobs.
These are tailored training projects for specific groups, industries and regions which involve employers in the
selection of participants, delivery approaches and the validation of outcomes. These initiatives typically focus on
delivering full qualifications leading into a job.
Quality work placements and transitions to employment (in addition to accredited training) are central features of
this approach.
Learner Support Services are available for students who need additional support to complete their qualifications.
The Jobs First STL Projects Guidelines are available at apply to vary your contract.
Jobs First Employment Projects are tailored employment initiatives for specific groups, industries and regions
that assist people to either progress towards employment or move directly into a job.
These projects typically provide combinations of accredited and non-accredited training with additional support
services that address barriers to employment, such as individual or family case management, structured
mentoring, work experience, career services, building work readiness, and brokerage into a job.
Guidelines for these projects are available at forms and publications for training providers.
Employers
16. What does this mean for me as an employer?
WorkReady offers subsidised courses linked to areas of economic priority and industry need in strategic sectors.
A highly skilled workforce provides the foundation for a high skill economy. Our investment is unashamedly
focused on critical courses that equip people to gain and succeed in a job.
Through WorkReady, government is supporting a steady supply of skilled workers for the economy, with skills
that are transferable across a range of industry sectors.
WorkReady can help employers address unmet labour needs by linking them with trained job seekers for
available jobs.
It provides subsidies for individuals to enrol in courses from the Subsidised Training List.
Through Jobs First, employers and industry have the opportunity to work with providers to develop tailored
training and employment projects to meet local needs where an employer is able to provide a job commitment.
We will also work closely with employers to identify ‘priority courses’. Priority courses will generally be higher level
qualifications in strategic industry areas.
17. What is the role of TAFE SA?
Students and communities expect TAFE SA to deliver training through contemporary, modern approaches. This
includes greater flexibility in the delivery of training and the provision of training that better responds to industry
and community needs.
TAFE SA will be supported to transition to a more innovative and flexible training delivery model, and to become
more sustainable in the competitive training market.
TAFE SA is currently undertaking a process of reform and renewal.
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18. How can I get involved?
Visit stay informed to be kept up-to-date or call the Skills and Employment Infoline on 1800 506 266.
As an employer, you can also get information and advice from a dedicated Regional Manager, who is assigned to
your region or local area in metropolitan Adelaide.
The independent Training and Skills Commission will continue to provide feedback to the Department of State
Development following consultation with employers and providers.
The Department of State Development will also consult regularly with regional and industry groups, networks and
representative bodies.
Contact details:
Skills and Employment Infoline: 1800 506 266
Email: [email protected]
Visit: www.skills.sa.gov.au
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