FAQs

Regional Education and Skills Program frequently asked questions

  • The Regional Education and Skills Program (RESP) is a BHP funded initiative that has been launched as part of the Future of Work Program to support skills development in regional Australia. The Program supports eligible students to pursue University and VET courses by providing funding to contribute towards their tuition fees for an approved course of their choosing that commences in 2025.

  • The Regional Education and Skills Program (RESP) commenced in 2023, with applications closing in July 2024. In February 2025, applications for the Program reopened with limited places remaining for students commencing their chosen course in 2025. All places have now been filled and applications have closed. 

  • All RESP places have now been filled and applications for the Program have closed. 

  • There is no intention to reopen the Program as all places have now been filled. 

  • There are no changes for students approved for the Program in advance of the close date. 

  • There are no changes to the application review process for students who submitted an application in advance of the close date. Please ensure you check your emails (including your spam folder) for updates on your application including any additional documentation required. If you are unsure about the status of your application, please send an email to applications@regionalfutureofwork.com.

  • Please note: all remaining places have been filled and applications have now closed.

    Candidates were assessed against a series of criteria to determine their eligibility for the Program. This includes:

    • The industry area of study: Courses from a broad range of industry areas will be considered, however key focus areas include health care and social assistance, education and training, engineering, construction, agriculture, and IT.

    • Course type: Students must be commencing their chosen course in 2025. Eligible courses include Certificate I-IVs, Diplomas, Associate Degrees, Advanced Diplomas, Bachelor's Degrees, Undergraduate and Graduate Certificates, VET Skill Sets and Microcredentials listed on the national marketplace.

    • Place of residence: Students must live or work in one of the following regional areas to be eligible for the program: Bowen Basin and Mackay in Qld, Upper Spencer Gulf and Roxby Downs in SA, the Pilbara and Goldfields region in WA or the Upper Hunter Region in NSW. Please note, temporary residence on-campus for the duration of your studies is not considered a primary residence for the purposes of the Program. To see if your postcode is eligible, visit the ‘Search your postcode’ tool on the RESP homepage. Students are also eligible for the Program if they are a Traditional Owner of one of the listed areas but do not currently reside in the area.

    • Purpose and community contribution: Students must demonstrate how they will use the course to support their career progression and local community needs.

    The Future of Work Program is a social investment program with a primary purpose to promote the uptake of education pathways in target regional and remote areas, with a focus on employees of small-medium enterprises outside of the mining industry.

  • No. Students completing a Master’s Degree are not eligible for the Program.

    Eligible courses include Certificate I-IVs, Diplomas, Associate Degrees, Advanced Diplomas, Bachelor's Degrees, Undergraduate and Graduate Certificates, VET Skill Sets and Microcredentials listed on the national marketplace.

  • No. You can be enrolled for part-time or full-time study.

  • No. You can choose the training provider that you study your course through (e.g. RTO, University, TAFE). The only requirements is that the course needs to be nationally accredited.

  • When the remaining funding for a student does not cover the entirety of another unit, the Program will provide the remaining amount directly to the student (if they choose to pay upfront for the remaining unit(s)), or will pay the amount to the ATO directly off the student’s HECS/HELP loan (if they choose to allocate the amount to a loan).

  • If the candidate has access to or will receive additional funding to contribute towards their tuition fees (e.g. government funding), they are still eligible for the program. If:

    • The candidate has some of their tuition fees covered by other funding, the Program can fund the difference (up to the total amount for that particular course type).

    • The candidate has all of their tuition fees covered by other funding, they can still be eligible to access the resources grant of up to $1000 to purchase tools that will support their studies.

  • For the purpose of the Future of Work Program, an advanced apprentice is a person who is employed with a registered employer, and is enrolled in a higher education course.

    Similar to the traditional apprenticeship model, advanced apprentices are paid by an employer to undertake structured on-the-job training as part of their course requirements. However, unlike a traditional apprenticeship, advanced apprentices will graduate with a university qualification.

  • Advanced apprenticeships involve a commitment from an employer to take on an employee, and to induct, train and supervise (as employers would with any employee relationship).

    In addition to training on-the-job, each advanced apprentice must undertake institutional (off-the-job) learning through a university or non-university higher education provider. This may be at the education provider’s campus, online, or at your workplace.

  • Applications for the Advanced Apprenticeship Program have now closed. 

Advanced Apprenticeship Program frequently asked questions