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What is VET?
Vocational education and training (VET) is learning which is directly related to work. Nationally recognised qualifications are developed by industry to give people the knowledge and skills they need to work in a particular job.
How can school students undertake VET?
Queensland secondary school students can undertake nationally recognised VET qualifications to help them prepare for work and life after school. VET courses can be undertaken in Years 10, 11 and 12, and can count towards the Queensland Certificate of Education.
Students can undertake VET at school:
- as part of your school studies – delivered and resourced by a school that is also a registered training organisation (RTO)
- by enrolling with an external RTO – funded either by the Queensland Government's VET in Schools program or through fee-for-service arrangements, where fees are paid by an individual such as a student or parent, or another entity such as a community or industry group
- as a school-based apprentice or trainee – funded either through another Queensland Government program called User Choice or fee-for-service arrangements.
Read more information on VET delivered in schools by the Department of Education.
What funding is available to school students to undertake VET?
In Queensland, there are 2 main funding sources supporting school students:
- Schools – many schools are also registered training organisations (school RTOs) and deliver training to students.
- VET investment budget – provides funding to Skills Assure Suppliers (SAS) to deliver
- VET in Schools (VETiS) program
- and
- school-based apprenticeships and traineeships.
Can students undertake any VETiS qualification?
Through the VETiS program, students can choose from a range of certificate I and II level qualifications which have been identified in consultation with industry as leading to employment outcomes and are based on skills shortages and Queensland Government priorities. Subsidised VETiS qualifications can be found on the Priority Skills List.
Students undertaking VETiS, are only funded for 1 VETiS qualification at the certificate I or II level funded under the VET investment budget.
Why doesn't VETiS fund certificate III qualifications?
VETiS qualifications on the Priority Skills List are at the certificate I and II level. This is in recognition that the best pathway to employment for school students completing certificate III level qualifications is by participating in a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship.
Students can still complete certificate III qualifications that are delivered and resourced by school RTOs or are self-funded.
Read more information on VET delivered in schools by the Department of Education.
Can school leavers access subsidised training if they have done VETiS?
Yes, the completion of VET at school doesn't impact access to funded courses post-school, such as those funded through Free TAFE and Certificate 3 Guarantee.
Learn more about subsidised training opportunities for learners.
Who pays any co-contribution fees (or shortfalls)?
VETiS funded courses are fee-free for students. Subsidies are paid to SAS for VETiS courses which are listed in the Priority Skills List.
The subsidy for each VETiS qualification should cover the costs associated with participating in the training. In some instances, however, there may be a shortfall between the subsidy level and the fees charged by the SAS. This is known as the co-contribution fee. This fee must be paid by the school to the SAS.
A SAS must disclose any fees upfront and clearly publish them on their website. This allows schools and students to be informed of all training costs and able to compare co-contribution fees across different SAS.
What is the new Career Ready VET in schools program?
The new Career Ready VET in schools program is an action of our Queensland Training Priorities Plan 2024–25 to help school students make good career and training choices, so they can leave school career-ready, informed and confident in their future.
The new program aims to help students better understand their career and training options and provide stronger pathways to work – with fee-free VET courses that have strong industry and employment connections, including more school-based apprenticeships and traineeships.
The program complements work to improve school-to-work transitions through the Queensland Workforce Strategy, including providing access to high-quality career information and facilitating school-industry partnerships through Regional School Industry Partnership Managers located in state school regions across the state.
Courses under the new program will be delivered by TAFE and selected SAS, with Career Ready expanded to be a discrete funding program—no longer drawing from Certificate 3 Guarantee and User Choice programs for certificate and apprenticeship/traineeship-based qualifications respectively.
TAFE will also offer Career Tasters to give more Year 10 students a taste of what it's like to work in industries such as agriculture, construction, cookery, health, community services and hairdressing, equipping students to choose a school-based apprenticeship, traineeship or VET course for Year 11 and 12 that is right for them.
When will the VETiS program change?
The new Career Ready program will not replace the current VETiS program until the start of the 2026 school year.
Career Ready will be further developed in consultation with stakeholders and implemented in a staged approach from 2026. More information and program guidelines will be available following this work.
Current VETiS arrangements remain in place for new enrolments until the end of the 2025 school year. No students will be disadvantaged, with continuing students able to complete their funded course and gain their qualification with the same provider.
What do program changes mean for students?
Fee-free VETiS funded courses will continue to be available for Queensland school students, with program changes focused on improving information provided about career and training options and strengthening industry and employment connections for the courses that are funded.
Eligible students can continue to enrol in funded VETiS courses under current arrangements until the new program is rolled out from the start of the 2026 school year.
No students will be disadvantaged, with continuing students able to complete their funded course and gain their qualification with the same provider into 2026.
Access to the program's funded courses will be available through TAFE and selected SAS, which are training providers quality-assured to deliver funded courses for school students. These suppliers will be engaged through a contracting process, with a focus on engaging training providers that can support students with the school-to-work transition.
Schools can continue to support access to courses delivered by other providers under fee-for-service arrangements, which mean students or parents may have to pay training fees.
What do program changes mean for schools?
VETiS funded courses will continue to be available for eligible students under current arrangements until the end of 2025. The Career Ready program will be further developed in consultation with stakeholders and implemented in a staged approach from the 2026 school year.
From 2026, eligible students wanting to access a Career Ready funded course will enrol with a TAFE provider or SAS approved to deliver Career Ready qualifications. For existing students, the current VETiS program will be grandfathered so no student is disadvantaged.
Schools wanting to continue to deliver courses with other providers can continue to do so under fee-for-service arrangements, which means that they ask students or parents to pay training fees.
What do the program changes mean for training providers?
TAFE and selected SAS will deliver the Career Ready VET in schools program from 2026.
All eligible RTOs will be able to express their interest, with courses and locations, through an expression of interest process.
RTOs currently delivering VETiS funded courses can continue to work with schools to deliver these courses, but they will not be funded under the VET investment budget unless they are among the Career Ready SAS approved to deliver training for school students from the 2026 school year.
No students will be disadvantaged, with continuing VETiS students able to complete their funded course and gain their qualification with the same provider into 2026.
Related information
Last updated 24 February 2025
