TAFE Priority Skills Fund

An additional benefit of this funding is that you may be eligible even if you already hold a qualification, giving you a second chance for subsidised training.
To be eligible for training:
- You must be aged 15 years or older.
- You must be no longer at school.
- Permanently reside in Queensland.
- You must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident (includes humanitarian entrant), temporary resident with the necessary visa and work permits on the pathway to permanent residency, or a New Zealand citizen. Please note: defence personnel, while they may hold evidence of residency, do not meet eligibility/intent of the funded programs.
- Not be admitted or enrolled in another certificate III or higher-level qualification or other subsidised programs at the same time.
- You will be eligible for a second chance. This means you can already hold one qualification from certificate to bachelor degree level and still be eligible subject to the other eligibility criteria. If you hold two qualifications, and one of them is a certificate III, you may still be eligible for a certificate IV or diploma course pending other eligibility.
- Dual qualifications are considered to be two separate qualifications and therefore ineligible for second chance funding.
- A qualification completed at school is excluded from eligibility assessment and therefore does not impact funding entitlement.
- Students must pay a co-contribution fee where required under C3G or HLS policies, and in accordance with CQU fees policy.
- All other Certificate 3 Guarantee and Higher Level Skills policy arrangements apply.
- Some courses may require the student to be an existing worker in the related industry.
- Certificate I and II qualifications may be subsidised in certain limited circumstances as per the Certificate 3 Guarantee program policy.
Course specific additional eligibility:
- BSB40320 – Certificate IV in Entrepreneurship and New Business. Students must be the owner, manager or employee of a small business in Queensland.
- CHC42015 – Certificate IV in Community Services. Students must be an existing worker in the Community Services industry, which includes parents and unpaid carers of NDIS participants.
- SIT40516 – Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery. Students must be an existing worker in the Tourism and Hospitality industry and must already hold a trade qualification (Certificate III) in the Tourism and Hospitality industry.
- CHC52015 – Diploma of Community Services. Students must be an existing worker in the Community Services and Health industry, which includes parents and unpaid carers of NDIS participants to receive subsidy.
- CHCSS00070 – Assist Clients with Medication Skill Set. Student must be an Existing Worker in the Community Services and Health industry, which includes parents and unpaid carers of NDIS participants.
Eligible students need to be enrolled and participate in study prior to the end of June 2024 to access TAFE Priority Skills Fund. This funding is applicable to unit enrolments. Any gap in your studies may result in you losing access to this funding. This funding is limited and subject to change. Please carefully consider your training options before committing to a training course as this may exhaust your entitlement to further Queensland Government subsidised training.
If you are not eligible for TAFE Priority Skills Fund there may still be other options. These include:
- CQUni TAFE diploma courses are supported by VET Student Loans.
- Payment plans are available to eligible applicants, for details call 13 27 86.
- If you are a job seeker or at risk of unemployment you may be eligible for the Queensland Government’s Back to Work program, call us to find out more on 13 27 86.
Applicants will be required to provide documentation to support their eligibility for subsidy. For more information regarding eligibility documentation visit Apply for TAFE Certificate and Diploma.
Talk to a person
Not sure if you are eligible? Book a conversation with our friendly team.
Accounting and Bookkeeping
- FNS30322 – Certificate III in Accounts Administration
- FNS40222– Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping
Aged and Disability Care
Animal Care
Automotive
- AUR20520 - Certificate II in Automotive Servicing Technology
- AUR20720 - Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation
Business
- BSB30120 – Certificate III in Business
- *BSB40320 – Certificate IV in Entrepreneurship and New Business
- BSB40420 - Certificate IV in Human Resource Management
- BSB40520 – Certificate IV in Leadership and Management
- BSB50420 - Diploma of Leadership and Management
*Student must be the owner, manager or employee of a small business Queensland.
Childcare and Education
- CHC30121 – Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
- CHC30221 – Certificate III in School Based Education Support
- CHC40221 – Certificate IV in School Based Education Support
- CHC50121 – Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
- TAE40116 – Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
Community Services
- CHC22015 - Certificate II in Community Services
- CHC32015 – Certificate III in Community Services
- CHC33021 – Certificate III in Individual Support
- *CHC42021 – Certificate IV in Community Services
- CHC43315 – Certificate IV in Mental Health
- CHC40321 - Certificate IV in Child Youth and Family Interventions
- *CHC52021 – Diploma of Community Services
*Student must be an Existing Worker in the Community Services and Health industry, which includes parents and unpaid carers of NDIS participants.
Emergency Management
Fitness
Foundation skills
- FSK10219 – Certificate I in Skills for Vocational Pathways
- FSK20119 - Certificate II in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways
Hair and Beauty
Health
- HLT33115 – Certificate III in Health Services Assistance
- HLT35021 – Certificate III in Dental Assisting
- HLT51020 - Diploma of Emergency Health Care
- *CHCSS00070 – Assist Clients with Medication Skill Set
- HLT54121 - Diploma of Nursing
- HLT30121 Certificate III in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care
- HLT40221 Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Practice
*This skill set has been endorsed by industry as suitable for individuals who hold a qualification at Certificate III level or higher in an area involving provision of direct client care or support. Students must be currently employed in the Community Services or Health Services industry.
Horticulture
- AHC20416 - Certificate II in Horticulture
- AHC30716 – Certificate III in Horticulture
- AHC31421 – Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
Hospitality and Tourism
- SIT20116 - Certificate II in Tourism
- SIT20316 – Certificate II in Hospitality
- SIT20421 – Certificate II in Cookery
- SIT30116 - Certificate III in Tourism
- SIT30616 – Certificate III in Hospitality
- SIT40521 - Certificate IV in Kitchen Management
Information Technology
Justice
Laboratory Operations
Occupational Health and Safety
Visual Arts
Employers
Upskill or reskill your staff with TAFE Priority Skills Fund. The co-contribution fee, being the remaining course cost after the Queensland Government subsidy, can be paid by employers for their staff. Eligibility requirements apply. If the employer opts to pay CQUniversity directly, rather than reimburse the employee/student, invoices will be payable as the student enrols in units. The employer will need to complete an Authority to Invoice form, this can then be emailed to studentengagement@cqu.edu.au
More about TAFE Priority Skills Fund
TAFE Priority Skills Fund is an initiative of the Queensland Government’s Department of Employment, Small Business and Training. This funding is provided to CQUniversity as an official TAFE provider to support training in priority growth industries, as well as those that are new and emerging. TAFE Priority Skills Fund is available until 30 June 2024. As this funding is limited and applicable to unit enrolments, future unit enrolments may not be subsidised by this program.
If you have any questions, please call us on 13 27 86. You can also ask a question via eform.