Career Start Funding Information

1. General Training Pathway Eligibility

To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be 15 years or older and no longer attending school.
• Permanently live in Queensland.
• Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, an Australian permanent resident (including humanitarian entrants), or a temporary resident holding an eligible visa subclass.
• Have not completed a Certificate III or higher qualification in the last 10 years. (Qualifications completed while at school or foundation skills programs do not count.)
• Not currently enrolled in another qualification, even if on hold or deferred, whether funded by DTET or not (foundation skills programs excluded).
• Have not already accessed government funding for more than two apprenticeships or traineeships in the last 10 years.

2. Traineeship and Apprenticeship Pathway Eligibility

To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

• No longer attending school.
• Not currently enrolled in another qualification.
• If from overseas, have a visa allowing work in Australia
• Be employed in Queensland as an apprentice or trainee under a registered training contract in a qualification eligible through the Career Start program.
• Have not already completed two apprenticeship or traineeship qualifications (including school-based) within the last 10 years.

Co-contribution Fees

Under Queensland Government requirements for the Career Start program, you are required to pay a co-contribution fee.
This fee helps cover part of your training costs and reflects the value of gaining skills that can lead to better job opportunities and higher earnings.
The co-contribution can be paid by your employer, a family member, a friend, or another organisation, but it cannot be paid or waived by us or anyone connected to us.

1. General Training Pathways

Co-contribution fees cover all training-related costs. You may be eligible for a discounted co-contribution fee if you qualify as a concessional student.
You may also be exempt from fees if you are a concessional student and undertaking a lower-level qualification.

You are considered a concessional student if you meet at least one of the following:

• Hold a Health Care, Veteran, or Pensioner Concession Card, or be named as a partner or dependant on such a card.
• Possess an official Commonwealth-issued document confirming concession entitlements.
• Identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
• Have a disability.
• Be an adult prisoner.

2. Apprenticeship / Traineeship Pathways

For apprenticeships and traineeships, co-contribution fees are set by the Queensland Government at $1.60 per nominal hour for each unit of competency.
You may be eligible for a partial fee exemption (60% discount) if you meet one of the following:

• Under 17 years of age at the end of February in the year you start training, not attending school and have not completed Year 12.
• Hold a Health Care, Veteran, or Pensioner Concession Card (or be named as partner/dependant).
• Have an official Commonwealth-issued document confirming concession entitlements.
• Identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

You may be eligible for a full exemption from co-contribution fees if you fall into one of the following categories:

• Undertaking a qualification as part of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) – Work Skills Traineeship program.
• Completing a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SAT).
• Enrolled in specific fee-free training programs announced by the Queensland Government.
• Completing foundation skills training (always fee-free).
• Eligible for the Free Apprenticeships for Under 25s initiative.

Additionally, if paying fees would cause extreme financial hardship, fees may be waived. A waiver process is available at the time of enrolment, and you have the right to appeal any waiver decisions.

Who can apply?

• Be under 25 years old before entering a training contract.
• Be currently employed as a Queensland apprentice or trainee under a registered training contract.
• Be no longer enrolled at school.
• Commence or recommence your apprenticeship/traineeship between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2027.
• Not currently be enrolled in another qualification, and not exceed two government-funded apprenticeships/traineeships within a 10-year period.
• You can only receive funding for one apprenticeship/traineeship at a time. If two contracts start at the same time, only the one with the earliest start date will be funded.

What does “Free” mean?

The Queensland Government pays the training costs for eligible priority apprenticeships/traineeships listed on the Queensland Subsidised Training List (QSTL). This means you will not be required to pay student contribution fees for the covered training.

Which qualifications are included?

Under this program, you can complete the following qualifications with us:

• MST30519 – Certificate III in Leather Production
• AUR30620 – Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology

Key things to remember

• You may be funded for a maximum of two government-funded apprenticeships/traineeships in a 10-year period (across Career Start, Career Boost and SATs).
• You cannot complete multiple lower-level vocational qualifications under Career Start at the same time.
• If community-based lower-level training (e.g. SQW projects) better suits you, discuss options with your provider.