FAQs

Regional Education and Skills Program frequently asked questions

  • To apply and be eligible for the program, students will need to provide evidence of being enrolled or in the process of enrolling in a course that commences in 2023 or 2024.

    Candidates will be notified of their application outcome approximately five weeks after applying. Following receipt of your application, you will be provided with an email notification that we have received your application and that it is being processed.

    The Future of Work Program Team will be assessing applications and will progress candidates who meet the program eligibility and selection criteria. The amount of funding you are eligible for will be confirmed after you are accepted for the program.

    Please note, all applications will be reviewed.

  • To be eligible for the program, candidates will be assessed against criteria to determine their eligibility.

    This includes:

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

    • Course type. Students must be enrolled or in the process of enrolling in a course that commences in 2023 or 2024. 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.

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

    • Access the application form here

    • Reach out to applications@regionalfutureofwork.com for further information if needed

    • Complete the short online application

    • If shortlisted, provide evidence of your enrolment and place of residence

    • Once accepted to the program, you will receive an offer and confirmation for the amount of funding you are eligible for.

  • The Regional Education and Skills Program 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 will take the place of the 2022 Short Course Program, and eligible students will receive a financial contribution towards their tuition fees for a course of their choosing.

  • 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.

  • Candidates accepted into the program, will receive up to $15,000 towards their tuition fees for an eligible non-Bachelor degree course and up to $24,000 for an eligible Bachelor's degree!

    The specific amount will be determined by the Future of Work Team based on the priority of their course and will be communicated to them prior to the start of the Program.

    The student, once accepted to the Program, may also be eligible for a resources grant of up to $1000 to purchase tools that will support their studies

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

  • The Program will run until the end of 2024. This means that if a candidate starts their course and will not have completed it by the end of 2024, the Program will provide funding until the end of 2024 and will not provide funding for study in 2025 and onwards.

  • 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 a candidate that works in one of the target postcodes apply, but they live in a postcode that is within 150km of a target postcode, they will automatically be approved as an exception. If a candidate applies and they work in a target postcode, but live beyond 150km of the target area, they will not be eligible.

  • 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.

  • Cohort 1 for the advanced apprenticeship program in Queensland is planned to commence in Semester 2, 2023.

  • An Business and IT Advanced Apprenticeship has been designed in Queensland - visit the Advanced Apprenticeship page for more information.

    Additional courses are being designed and course information will become available in due course.

    Industry growth areas have been identified through a regional skills needs analysis. These areas will form the course offerings for the program. These growth areas include Health, Engineering, Early Childhood Care & Education, and Business and IT.

    As part of this, the program is being co-designed with industry and higher education providers to align with specific employer needs, and focus on upskilling current and future workforces.

  • The program is focused on supporting communities, workforce development and local businesses within the following regional areas:

    • Bowen Basin and Mackay, Queensland

    • Roxby Downs and Upper Spencer Gulf, South Australia

    • The Pilbara and Goldfields, Western Australia

    • Upper Hunter Region, New South Wales.

    Eligible businesses or employers must have a geographical connection to, or service, one of the above regional areas.

  • Applications are now open for the Queensland Advanced Apprenticeship Program.

Advanced Apprenticeship Program frequently asked questions