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Contents

Skills Fund Program 1

Skills Fund objectives 1

Program overview 2

The Grant Process and Timeframes 4

Application conditions, requirements and processes 5

Mandatory conditions 5

Registration 5

Scope of registration 5

Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO status 5

Financial viability 5

Relevant legislation 6

Learner eligibility 6

Conflict of interest 6

Application process 6

SmartyGrants 7

Alternative submissions 7

Late submissions 8

Funding Options 8

Sub-contractor details 8

Supporting documentation 8

Naming conventions 8

Number of places - Evidence of Demand 9

Co-contributions 9

Existing Worker Stream 9

Industry coverage 10

Qualification levels 11

Work placements 11

Holistic Training 11

Risk Management Plan 11

Selection criteria 12

Criteria weighting 17

Training requested table 18

Assessment and selection process 20

Selection process 21

Post-Grant 22

Arrangements for successful applicants 22

Unsuccessful applications 22

Payments 22

Publishing details of successful grant applicants 22

Training commencement 22

Completion of training 22

Benchmarks guides and reporting 23

Existing Worker Benchmarks 23

Jobseeker Benchmarks 23

Mind the Gap and Volunteer Benchmarks 23

Reporting 24

Application tips 24

Skills Fund Program

This document provides Endorsed Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), intending to submit applications, with information about the contractual requirements, obligations and conditions of applying for and receiving funding under the Skills Fund Program.

The Skills Fund Program is for the purchase of nationally recognised training. The outcome of the grant process is that the Department of State Growth enters into agreements with Endorsed RTOs for the delivery of training and assessment services.

The specifications of the training being purchased are described in the nationally recognised training packages, which detail the units of competence, qualifications and assessment requirements.

Skills Fund objectives

The objectives of the program are to:

Deliver and subsidise training and workforce development activities that support priority industries to drive economic growth and employment.

Provide subsidised training to support pathways for all Tasmanians to access training and gain skills in priority industries

Program overview

The Skills Fund demand-led (employer and industry) program specifically targets areas of skills demand in priority industries. It supports skill sets and full qualifications where there is demonstrated need. The Skills Fund is available for existing employees (supporting productivity outcomes) and jobseekers (supporting workforce participation and targeting skills shortages).

|The Existing Worker Stream is designed to support employers and employees. The training helps build the workforce skills needs of employers to increase|

|their business productivity, growth and expansion and improves employee retention rates. |

|The training also supports employees to attain skills to help them do their job better or to further their careers. |

|The Existing Worker Stream requires a mandatory financial contribution based on the size of the employing organisation. |

|The Existing Worker Stream supports three different partner types – employer, industry association/regional groups and business/small business groups. |

|The supported qualification levels range from Certificate IV to Advanced Diploma. |

|[pic] |

|The Jobseeker Stream supports individuals to attain skills they need to improve their employment opportunities. Direct involvement from employers has |

|resulted in employment outcomes. The preferred outcome of this program is that the learner is job ready, employable and obtains employment. |

|There is no financial co-contribution requirement. Qualifications can be chosen from Certificate II to Certificate IV. |

|Single unit skill sets will not be accepted. Skill sets must relate to job entry requirements and support employment outcomes. |

|The number of places applied for should reflect the needs of the cohort. Typically there should be no more than 15 participants per program. This will|

|ensure the individuals are well supported throughout their training experience. |

|Note: Independent validation of applications may be sought by Skills Tasmania to assist in the assessment of the application. |

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|The Mind the Gap Stream is a pre-employment program designed to give individuals an industry taster. The expected outcome of this program is that the |

|learner completes all the training and progresses to further training or employment. |

|Qualifications levels are Certificate I or Certificate II. |

|Single unit skill sets will not be accepted. The skill sets should reflect entry level skills or are designed to support individuals who are not ready|

|to undertake a full qualification or have significant barriers preventing them from accessing employment opportunities. The preferred delivery |

|structure is based on a practical hands-on approach, incorporating work-based experiences. |

|Learners undertaking a Mind the Gap program may need additional wrap around support not provided by Employment Services Providers. This should be |

|reflected in the program overview and Value for Money criteria. |

|The number of places applied for should reflect the needs of the cohort. Typically there should be no more than 15 participants per program. This will|

|ensure the individuals are well supported throughout their training experience. |

|There is no financial co-contribution requirement. |

|Note: Independent validation of applications may be sought by Skills Tasmania to assist in the assessment of the application. |

|[pic] |

|The aim of the Volunteer Stream is to support Volunteer Involving Organisations build a skilled volunteer workforce through subsidised nationally |

|recognised training. The intention is to provide the learner with skills to assist the volunteer organisation to achieve its goals or to assist others|

|on their learning/employment journey. This program may not initially make the learner job ready, but will give them the confidence to explore career |

|opportunities. |

|The qualification levels range from Certificate I to Diploma. The number of places requested should reflect the current need of the volunteer |

|organisation. |

|There is an in-kind co-contribution requirement (see the Volunteer Organisation support template). |

|The training cannot be in relation to: |

|an individual’s personal goals or direct family responsibilities, for example as a carer to a family member |

|highly structured programs that have fixed volunteer requirements and provide options of volunteering type activities but with limited choice and/or |

|varying types of in-built financial or reward outcomes. Examples include: |

|Compulsory educational service learning (where students are required to volunteer as part of a course). |

|Mandated court orders including community service and fines. |

|Internships. |

|Formal work experience / vocational placements. |

|Mandatory government programs, for example Work for the Dole. |

The Grant Process and Timeframes

|Program planning tasks and Program Initiation |

|Guidelines, grant documentation and online application developed using SmartyGrants. |

|Grant round opens/closes |

|Advertisements in regional newspapers. |

|Skills Fund website updated. |

|Information session/s delivered via webinars. |

|Assessment and Selection Process |

|See the Assessment and Selection Process Section in this guide |

|Post-Assessment Process |

|See the Post-Assessment Process Section in this guide |

|Post-Grant Review |

|Evaluation processes is undertaken to look for efficiencies. |

Application conditions, requirements and processes

Mandatory conditions

The following conditions determine a RTO's eligibility to apply for subsidies through the Skills Fund Program.

Registration

RTOs must be registered in accordance with the requirements of the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to deliver nationally recognised training. ASQA is the national regulator for Australia’s vocational education and training (VET) sector. For details go to the ASQA website .au.

Scope of registration

RTOs must only submit applications for training subsidies where the qualification(s) and/or units of competency are included on their scope of registration for delivery in Tasmania at the time of lodging the application. Scope of registration can be downloaded from .au.

.au is the national register for training in Australia and contains the authoritative information about Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), Nationally Recognised Training (NRT), and the approved scope of each RTOs to deliver NRT as required in national and jurisdictional legislation within Australia. 

Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO status

RTOs must be an approved Skills Tasmania Endorsed RTO at the time of the grant round closing date. For more details go to skills..au/providers/rtos/endorsedrtosystem.

The Endorsed RTO, by its lodgement of the grant application, expressly authorises the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to release information to Skills Tasmania regarding the Endorsed RTO’s registration status, including the results of any recent audits and subsequent sanctions that may have been applied.

Financial viability

• RTOs applying for any Skills Tasmania grants must be financially viable at the time of applying for and for the duration of any subsequent funding agreement.

• A financially viable entity is one that is not under external administration, being wound up, dissolved or trading while insolvent or where a liquidator has been appointed.

• To demonstrate financial viability the RTO must be able to show, if requested, the ability to generate sufficient income to meet operating payments, debt commitments and, where applicable, to allow for growth while maintaining service levels.

In addition, by submitting an application, the applicant agrees to meet all conditions and requirements in the 2015-2017 Department of State Growth (Skills Tasmania) Agreement for all Programs and in this document, Skills Fund RTO Guide.

Skills Tasmania reserves the right to amend the contractual requirements, obligations or guidelines at any time prior to the completion of the grant and the finalisation of contracts with successful Endorsed RTOs.

Relevant legislation

The legislation that governs the work of Skills Tasmania is the Training and Workforce Development Act 2013. The object of the Act is to “establish a system of training and workforce development that supports a skilled and productive workforce and contributes to economic and social progress in Tasmania”.

All Tasmanian Government grants are administered in accordance with Treasurer’s Instruction 709: Grants Management Framework (TI 709). An overview of TI 709 is provided at .

Personal information will be managed in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act 2004. Information provided to Skills Tasmania is subject to the provisions of the Right to Information Act 2009. These Acts can be viewed in full at thelaw..au.

Skills Tasmania will respect the privacy and confidentiality of any information contained within the application, including attachments, that is directly related to the business activities of the nominated grant recipient or identified partner.

Learner eligibility

All learners accessing the Skills Fund Demand Led program must be a Tasmanian resident aged 15 years or over. A Tasmanian resident is defined as a permanent resident of Australia living in Tasmania for a minimum of six (6) months.

Learner eligibility details for existing workers and jobseekers, including mind the gap, is available in Schedule 2.1 Clause 4 of the 2015-17 Department of State Growth (Skills Tasmania) Agreement for all Programs.

Volunteer Stream

Individuals working as volunteers from a Not for Profit “Volunteer Involving Organisations[1]” will be eligible for training. Individuals can be existing workers or jobseekers who may need a new range of skills to participate as a volunteer within their nominated volunteer organisation.

Conflict of interest

The RTO must declare that at the time of the application, no conflict of interest exists, or is likely to arise, in the performance of the Contracted Services and that if, during the Term, a conflict of interest arises then the RTO is to notify Skills Tasmania immediately in writing of that conflict or risk.

Application process

There are six stream types available for selection:

Employer – choose this option when the application relates to one employer only.

Industry Association/Regional Group – this option should be selected when the partner organisation is making application on behalf of their client base or regional group. The association or group must be an independent body that can describe and validate the skill needs of an industry sector or Tasmanian region.

Business/Small Business – select this option when there are a group of like businesses that are of the similar size and request the same training. Business/Small Business is defined as businesses with less than 20 employees including sole traders, contractors and non-employing businesses that have a common training need. As the group has been identified, they should be named in the qualification/skill set table.

Jobseeker – the client group this application option is relevant to is those that are ready to pursue employment opportunities.

Mind the Gap – choose this option where the client group who have significant barriers that prevent them from accessing employment opportunities but are on an active pathway to further training opportunities and/or employment.

Volunteer – select this option where the learner is working as a volunteer for a Not for Profit “Volunteer Involving Organisations”.

Each application must relate to only ONE stream type, for example Employer.

SmartyGrants

Skills Fund applications must be completed on-line using the SmartyGrants Management System .au. The Help Guide for Applicants provides very useful advice, particularly on accessing saved applications and printing the application out prior to submitting.

Applicants must register with SmartyGrants before making an online application. Registration gives secure access to the application forms allowing them to be worked on over time rather than having to complete them all at once.

Links to the Skills Fund Grant application form will be available on skills..au/funding/skills_fund.

A word copy of the application form can be provided on request to theskillsfund@skills..au.

Applicants should ensure that all mandatory eligibility requirements are met and the Grant Application Checklist completed prior to submitting the application.

Where mandatory criteria are not met, the application will be deemed ineligible and will not be assessed or considered for grant funding.

Alternative submissions

Alternative applications may be submitted if the request does not comply with the standard grant requirements. Examples include:

Other funding options are not appropriate and have been explored.

The proposed qualification level is outside of the identified levels in the Stream.

The industry is not listed under the Industry Coverage table.

The number of places exceeds the identified cap.

Where this is the case, an alternative application can be submitted detailing how the training still aligns with the Stream aims and must include industry/employer support.

The employer/industry support must identify why the training is needed and why this training is more suitable for the learner and for the organisation/employer.

The reason for making an alternative submission should be documented clearly in a separate document to the application form and clearly labelled as such.

Late submissions

Late submissions will not be accepted unless Skills Tasmania is satisfied that:

• circumstances beyond the applicants control caused the lateness, or

• acceptance will not compromise the integrity of the application process or provide an unfair advantage to the RTO lodging the late application.

Funding Options

Applications that include full qualifications, must consider if the learner is eligible for an apprenticeship or traineeship and may be better suited to access funding through the Apprentice and Trainee Training Fund (User Choice) prior to submitting the application. It is recommended that RTOs consult with an Apprenticeship Network Provider and read the Tasmanian Traineeships and Apprenticeships Committee Policies and Guidelines. A declaration has been included in the application form designed to confirm that all the places being applied for are not eligible for the Apprentice and Trainee Training Fund (User Choice) program.

Sub-contractor details

If the intention is to use sub-contractors in the delivery of the program, list their details and what their role will be in the delivery of the program.

In addition, evidence of how the sub-contractor/s maintain their currency will need to be included in Selection Criteria 4 – demonstrated capability and capacity to deliver the relevant training by the RTO’s trainers and assessors.

Supporting documentation

Applicants should attach any relevant material to the application, including the partner support documents and the risk management plan.

Other supporting documentation should be explicitly relevant to the application and may include data from similar funded programs, satisfaction survey results, copies of Memorandums of Understanding or contractual arrangements with partners that address work placement arrangements.

Assessors will be looking for evidence related to the application. Evidence that does not specifically relate to this application should be avoided.

Naming conventions

All attached supporting documentation, the Training Requested Table and Risk Management Strategy should be named to reflect the Application ID supplied by Smarty Grants, the name of the RTO applying, the section of the submission that the documentation relates to and a brief description of the document.

For example: SF046001-RTO_SC3_Program Overview

Number of places - Evidence of Demand

The Skills Fund budget is limited and priority will be given to the identified priority industries (see page 13). The number of places requested for a partner (i.e. employer, industry association/regional group or business/ small business group), even if that partner applies with different RTOs, will need to be based on evidence of demand that the new skills are required or will be developed over 12-24 months of the grant being finalised.

Places will only be deemed applicable where robust evidence of demand is provided.

Co-contributions

Co-contributions relate only to the Existing Worker and Volunteer Streams.

Existing Worker Stream

The co-contribution financial payment must be paid by the business owner/employing organisation.

Whilst training is heavily subsidised, contributions for full qualifications and skill sets will be required based on the size of any organisation named in the application process, as follows:

|Government Business Enterprises, State Owned Companies & Local Government |60 per cent contribution |

|> 1000 FTEs |50 per cent contribution |

|200-999 FTEs |30 per cent contribution |

|20-199 FTEs |20 per cent contribution |

|1-19 staff FTEs |10 per cent contribution |

|For Not-for-profit organisations who have an FTE >1000, the contribution rate is 30 per cent. |

|Industry Association/Regional Group applications - where places applied for are “General Industry” a 20 per cent contribution will apply. Where possible |

|list the individual employers who are applying via Industry Association or Regional Groups. By naming them in the application (qualification or skill |

|set table), they may attract a lower co-contribution rate. |

|As the Business/Small Business Groups are businesses with less than 20 employees including sole traders, contractors and non-employing businesses they |

|will attract a 10 per cent contribution. |

|Licensing skill sets will attract a 50 per cent contribution rate. |

|All State and Australian Government Departments are not eligible for the Skills Fund. |

An FTE (Full-time equivalent) is the hours worked by one employee on a full-time basis. The concept is used to convert the hours worked by several part-time employees into the hours worked by full-time employees. On an annual basis, an FTE is considered to be 2,080 hours, which is calculated as: 8 hours per day x 5 work days per week.

Organisation is defined as a legal entity. A legal entity can be an association, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, trust, or individual that has legal standing in the eyes of law. A legal entity has legal capacity to enter into agreements or contracts, assume obligations, incur and pay debts, sue and be sued in its own right, and to be held responsible for its actions.

It is important to read the 2015-2017 Department of State Growth (Skills Tasmania) Agreement for all Programs with regard to the payment and collection of the co-contribution. Schedule 2.1 – Service Obligation 1 – Fees and Charges outlines the process. Note: this agreement has been extended to include new contracts entered in 2018.

Industry coverage

Priority industries are used to guide Skills Tasmania’s workforce development and funding activities. Priority industries are those that

a) Demonstrate:

i. A high level of demand for skilled labour; and/or

ii. Significant contribution to the economy; and/or

iii. High growth and/or employment potential; and/or

b) Are identified as a government policy priority.

All industries will be considered in the application assessment process, however the industry sectors listed below have been identified as high growth sectors and may be given priority. Skills Tasmania's Workforce Plans and Reports () are a useful reference tool.

• Tourism and hospitality

• Building and construction (including Civil Construction)

• Advance manufacturing (including Maritime and Defence Manufacturing)

• Information and communications technology

• Aged services

• Disability services

• Agriculture (including Forestry)

• Aquaculture (including Maritime)

• Transport and logistics

Skills Tasmania has formal partnerships with Strategic Community and Industry Partners who provide high-level strategic advice on training and workforce development on behalf of their constituencies which may be of assistance when applying. At the end of June 2018, there are 14 Strategic Community and Industry Partners:

• Aged and Community Services Australia

• Engineers Australia

• Migrant Resource Centre - Southern Tasmania

• Migrant Resources - Northern Tasmania

• National Disability Services

• Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania

• TasICT

• Tasmanian Building and Construction Industry Training Board

• Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

• Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association

• Tasmanian Hospitality Association

• Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council

• Tasmanian Seafood Council

• Tasmanian Transport and Logistics Workforce Advisory Group

Note:

The Industry sector for Existing Worker stream, which includes Employer, Industry Association/Regional Group or Business/Small Business Group, and the Volunteer stream should be relevant to the partner. For example if the partner grows apples, then the industry sector is Fruit Grower.

The Industry sector for the Jobseeker and Mind the Gap streams, should be relevant to the qualification/skill set. For example if the qualification is Certificate II in Individual Support (Aged Services) then the industry sector is Aged Services.

Qualification levels

The Skills Fund supports qualification levels Certificate I to Advanced Diploma and skill sets based on the chosen stream.

Skill sets are defined as one or more units of competency or combinations of units of competency from a nationally endorsed Training Package, which link to a licence or regulatory requirement, or a defined industry need. They do not align to a specific AQF qualification level.

|Existing Worker |Jobseeker |Mind the Gap |Volunteer |

|Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced |Certificates II, III and IV and skill|Certificates I, II and skill sets |Certificates 1, II, III, IV, Diploma,|

|Diploma and skill sets |sets | |Advanced Diploma and skill sets |

For more information about the qualification levels access the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) website at: aqf.edu.au/aqf-levels.

Work placements

Work placement/experiences must be conducted in accordance with the Training Package requirements of the qualification. If the application is to deliver skill sets, a simulated environment may be more practical as long as it is supported by the partners of this application and the Training Package requirements.

It is expected that as part of their training Jobseekers are given access to real life experiences. Ideally, the work placement/experience should occur on the supporting employer’s premises.

RTOs are encouraged to utilise the Work Readiness Resource as part of preparing the learners for work placement/experience.

Holistic Training

If the intention is to provide a holistic training experience, that is the learner is to be trained and assessed in a number of units at the one time and that totals more than 25 per cent of the program, then the program overview or training and assessment strategy should provide a justification for undertaking this approach. It should also include a withdrawal strategy for ensuring the learner is given the opportunity to attain formal recognition of some of the training they have undertaken.

Risk Management Plan

Consider the risks to the viability and completion of this training program and complete the Risk Management Plan Template. The contingency/mitigating actions provided will be used to as part of Skills Tasmania’s assessment of any Skills Fund grant application, variation requests (if the application is successful) and in applications in future grant rounds.

Selection criteria

The selection criteria requires that applicants demonstrate the skills, networks and organisational capacity to meet the needs of their clients and the requirements of the training packages.

|Criteria 1: Demonstrated performance of training and assessment services delivered by the endorsed RTO. |

|This criteria examines the RTO’s contract take up, completions and withdrawals from previous Skills Tasmania funded programs. This can be evidenced |

|by: |

|Statistical data of contract take up, completions and withdrawals from previous Skills Tasmania funded programs. Skills Tasmania will use AVETMISS |

|reporting data for this purpose. |

|Recent learner and employer satisfaction survey results. |

|Reasons for lack of take up and withdrawals in previously funded programs. |

| |

|RTOs who have not delivered in Tasmania previously under a Skills Tasmania funding program, can attach evidence of data from other programs delivered |

|in Tasmania or other funded programs delivered in their home state that is relevant to this application. |

|Evidence can be provided by extracting data from their AVETMISS or student management systems. The data should be no older than the previous 12-18 |

|months. |

|If the training is a flow on from other Skills Tasmania funding programs, for example a Training and Work Pathways program or a Workforce Development |

|Program, provide a description of the program and the outcomes and why this submission is the next step. The Workforce Plans and Reports may also |

|assist. |

|Additional notes: |

|Indicative benchmarks |

|Jobseeker / MTG / Volunteer - contract take-up rates should be more than 70% and the withdrawal/non-completion rates should be less than 30% |

|Existing Worker - contract take-up rates should be more than 90% and the withdrawal/non-completion rates should be less than 10%. |

|Criteria 2: Demonstrated need for the training and assessment service and evidence that the training aligns with any of the identified priority |

|industries. |

|This criteria is designed to ensure the application is based on a real need, verified through the submission of partner support documentation and |

|reflects priority industry as defined in the "Industry Coverage" section of this document. |

|Existing worker |

|Employer Support – The submission must verify that the training requested reflects the needs of the employer and their commitment to the program. |

|The employer support should demonstrate the business imperative whether it’s in response to their business plan or strategy and how they determined the|

|need. The support should also demonstrate their relationship with the RTO and if they are satisfied with the proposed training plan. |

|The employer support must be in their own words. |

|Industry Support – The submission must verify that the training requested reflects the needs of the industry. Preference will be given where the names|

|of the individual employers who have nominated to participate under the industry association or business group applications are provided. |

|The industry support should demonstrate that the proposed training reflects the industry’s workforce plan, whether the training is in response to a |

|growth or expansion of their industry and that the industry is recognised by the government as a high priority industry. |

|Additional notes: |

|Industry support from employers should reference: |

|their business or workforce plan |

|whether the training is in response to a growth or expansion of their business |

|whether the industry has been identified as high priority industry. |

|Industry support from associations or regional groups should reference: |

|the industry’s workforce plan |

|whether the training is in response to a growth or expansion of the industry |

|whether the industry has been identified as high priority industry. |

|Preference is given to applications which name up the individual employers who will be participating via the industry association application. |

|Industry support from small/business groups should be treated the same as employer support. Each participating business should complete the employer |

|support form. |

|Criteria 2: Demonstrated partner support for the training and assessment service and evidence that the training aligns with any of the identified |

|priority industries (cont.). |

|Jobseeker |

|The application should be supported by a relevant industry association, an employment provider or a referral agency and at least one employer willing |

|to employ people once they have completed the program. |

|Employer Support – must verify that the training requested reflects the needs of the employer and their commitment to the program. |

|Industry Support – must verify that the training requested reflects the needs of the industry and the training will not result in an oversupply of |

|individuals where jobs are not available. |

|Employment Service Provider Support – must identify known employment opportunities and in which particular region. In addition, if the Employment |

|Service Provider is in partnership with this program, they should identify the participation support they are willing to provide to the learner. |

|Additional notes: |

|High levels of participation by the employer/s would strengthen the application. Participation could range from recruitment of learners, development |

|of the program, work placements, providing on-site mentors in work placements or employment opportunities. |

|Ideally the industry support should reflect the industry’s workforce plan, whether the training is in response to a growth or expansion of their |

|industry and that the industry is recognised by the government as a high priority. |

|[pic] |

|Mind the gap |

|Employer Support – It would be beneficial to identify if an employer is participating in program and in what capacity. |

|Industry Support – the submission must verify that the training requested reflects industry standards and there are job opportunities available. |

|Additional notes: |

|Participation by an employer/s would strengthen the application. Participation could range from recruitment of learners, development of the program, |

|work placements, providing on-site mentors in work placements or employment opportunities. |

|Ideally the industry support should reflect the industry’s workforce plan, whether the training is in response to a growth or expansion of their |

|industry and that the industry is recognised by the government as a high priority industry. |

|Criteria 2: Demonstrated partner support for the training and assessment service and evidence that the training aligns with any of the identified |

|priority industries (cont.). |

|Volunteer |

|The submission must verify that the training requested reflects the needs of the volunteer organisation and their commitment to the program. |

|The volunteer organisation support should demonstrate the business imperative, linkages to their business plan or strategy and how they determined the |

|need. The volunteer organisation support should also demonstrate their relationship with the RTO and if they are satisfied with the proposed training |

|plan. |

|As there is no co-contribution payment involved, the organisations are requested to provide evidence of in-kind support. This could involve recruitment|

|of learners, work placements or mentoring support. |

|Additional notes: |

|Support from the volunteer organisation should reference: |

|the organisation's documented goals or strategic plan or a skills needs analysis |

|what benefits will be realised as a result of this training? This could include recruitment of additional volunteers, to address a new area of need, |

|reduce injuries, increased employment opportunities or to meet the organisation’s documented goals or strategic plan |

|what will the in-kind level of participation be in the program? Participation could range from recruitment of learners, development of the program, |

|work placements, providing on-site mentors in work placements or employment opportunities |

|Criteria 3: Demonstrated approach to the provision of training and assessment services. |

|Provide a program overview which has been validated by the industry partner/s and reflects training package requirements. As a minimum the overview |

|should include: |

|a description of the learning outcomes of the program |

|the structured training and assessment methodology (taking into considerate the student cohort) |

|include a justification if a holistic model is to be utilised (see page |

|delivery timetables |

|duration of training |

|entry requirements |

|learner support mechanisms |

|if relevant, work placement or work experience arrangements |

|equipment and facilities |

|industry participation*. |

|The list of trainers involved in the program delivery, including subcontractors, and their recent experience in delivering training to the specific |

|cohorts of the application, e.g. learners facing disadvantage with various barriers, existing workers and jobseekers. |

|Work placement arrangements: |

|As a minimum the workplace arrangements for the application should include: |

|A register of identified host employers for the identified project/training. |

|A placement agreement template which should include at least minimum details such as rights and responsibilities of all parties, duration of the |

|placement, insurance information, key tasks and sign off pages. |

|A placement procedure document which outlines the processes undertaken when administering a work placement. Information within this document could |

|include legal checks, record keeping requirements, process flow chart, managing special student or host employer requirements, monitoring arrangements |

|and breakdown between parties. |

|Where work placement/experience is not appropriate or accessible, outline how the learner might be provided with a learning and assessment experience |

|that exposes learners to accurately simulated workplaces. |

|*The industry participation requirement is only relevant to the Mind the Gap and Volunteer Streams. These programs may not require a work placement or |

|experience, but should involve interactions with employers/industry. This could be in the form of industry visits and/or presentations. A simulated |

|environment may also be useful to give the participants exposure to the job/occupation. |

|Criteria 4: Demonstrated value for money. |

|Government policy requires the Skills Fund must show that the contracted training services provides value for money. |

|Value for money can be demonstrated by outlining: |

|The quality of the training services – the proposed outcomes identified in the partner support and the outline of the proposed service. This could be |

|provided in Criteria 2 and Criteria 3 and where relevant Criteria 5. |

|How does the proposed training align to government priorities? This could be outlined in Criteria 2. |

|The capacity of the supplier to provide the service – This could be supported by the details of Criteria 1 |

|Costs - the cost of training (see Cost Calculator), what is provided for the money (budget breakdown). Consider other factors that will provide value |

|to the outcomes of the program. |

|Additional information can be added to justify the costs/breakdown and to describe the proposed outcomes. This might include regional/remote delivery, |

|wrap around services (e.g. behaviour support, soft skills, migrant support, high resource usage, etc.). These needs must be in addition to the actual |

|cost of the training service. |

|Where a subcontractor is used include any costs associated with this arrangement. |

|Mind the Gap Stream ONLY - if wrap around support services are to be provided to the learner by the RTO, provide a breakdown of the costs and how this |

|will contribute to the value for money |

Criteria weighting

|Criteria |Weighting |

|Demonstrated performance of training and assessment services delivered by the Endorsed RTO. |20% |

|Demonstrated need for the training and assessment service and evidence that the training aligns with any of the identified |40% |

|priority industries. | |

|Demonstrated approach to the provision of training and assessment services. |20% |

|Demonstrated value for money |20% |

| |100% |

Training requested table

The Training requested document/template outlines the list of qualifications and/or skill sets being applied for, the costs and delivery region. The details provided must be rechecked for accuracy prior to uploading to Smarty Grants.

The Nominal hours per unit listing can be accessed at; laureldw.education..au/trainingpackages.

Total program nominal hours per person should reflect a typical qualification or skill set program. This figure is the total of the actual nominal hours for the requested unit(s).

Full Cost Per Learner. The Cost Calculator, which calculates the subsidy price Skills Tasmania pays under the Apprentice and Trainee Training Fund (User Choice), is available on the Skills Fund website.

For the purposes of the Skills Fund program, it provides a guide to determine the base price for comparison with your proposed cost per person. The base price, which does not include the co-contribution amount, calculates the cost of the qualification or skill set using a cost of $7.00 per hour and multiplies the Field of Education Weighting. Each qualification level attracts a different subsidy price. For skill sets, the subsidy price aligns to the identified qualification.

If your cost per person is higher or lower than the base price, by a margin of more than 15%, a justification must be submitted under the Value for Money criteria. The justification may relate to the delivery model, cohort type, resource usage, additional services or regional delivery.

To determine the FULL cost per learner, the co-contribution rate is added.

The Total Cost is calculated by multiplying the number of places times by full cost per learner less Co-contribution percentage. For example:

5 (number of places) * $1000 (full cost per person) * .9 (10% co-contribution) = $4500 (Total cost per program).

How to use the Cost Calculator

Step 1 - The total nominal hours are the hours calculated by adding up the nominal hours of the unit/s selected for the qualification or skill set in the application. The Nominal hours per unit listing can be accessed at: laureldw.education..au/trainingpackages.

Step 2 – The Field of Education Cost Weighting is designed to recognise the complexity and effort required to deliver training and assessment for that particular field and determines the cost variation between the different fields.

Example:

Using Certificate IV in Business as an example, the nominal hours are 408 and the Field of Education is Business and Management which has a weighted cost of .91. This results in a qualification price of $1949.22. THIS IS THE BASE PRICE.

Step 3 - Apply the 15% margin. In the example above the cost range is $1657-$2,242. Should the program cost more than this, then provide a justification in the Value for money criteria.

Regions – please use the Local government areas map to identify each Tasmanian region that the training services will be delivered in.

Assessment and selection process

The Skills Fund Grant program is a competitive process where applications will be assessed on their merit and ranked accordingly.

This means that not all submissions will be successful.

The final decision will be made based on the applications that meet the criteria to the strongest degree taking into consideration industry priority, current industry supply, future workforce skills demand and value for money. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their application with Skills Tasmania prior to submitting an application.

Applicants should also ensure that the information provided in the application form complies with all identified conditions in the Skills Tasmania Agreement, these guidelines and the Skills Fund application form/s.

All applications received are assessed according to Treasurer's Instruction 709:

Item 6 (b) where all applications are assessed in an open, transparent and consistent manner,

Item 6 (d) where grant funds are allocated in accordance with publicly available eligibility and selection criteria.

All eligible applications will be assessed and ranked through a three-stage process consisting of:

1. An initial merit assessment of applicant responses against the selection criteria.

A selection panel review of recommendations based on the initial merit assessment.

A final ranking of applications, funded to the total program value available.

To be considered in the above assessment process and be eligible to receive grant funding, all applications must meet the minimum standards set out in the selection criteria.

Applications will be scored against the selection criteria as follows:

|Scoring |Points |

|Does not address this criterion |0 |

|Very poor/poor |2-9 |

|Satisfactory |10-14 |

|Exceeds |15-20 |

Each criterion is weighted. Using the scoring table above and applying the relevant weighting, a matrix spreadsheet is used to convert the scores. The aggregated score is averaged to produce a final score out of 20. This score is the basis on which the ranking of all submissions are determined.

Submissions which score less than 10 weighted points in total will not be considered for funding.

As part of the assessment process applications will be monitored for excessive requests for training by any one organisation. If this occurs, Skills Tasmania reserves the right to negotiate to adjust the application. Negotiations will be based on the RTO’s endorsement history and previous Skills Tasmania funded training activity.

Selection process

The selection process has a number of checks to ensure equitable outcomes:

All applications are scored against the selection criteria by individual assessor/s.

A selection panel will be convened to review the submissions and scores against industry priority, current industry supply, future workforce skills demand and value for money.

Each panel member is required to sign a confidentiality and conflict of interest form. Any individual involved in the selection process who has declared a conflict of interests will not participate in any decisions involving a potential conflict.

The recommendations will be endorsed and approval is received from the Minster's Delegate to release the funds.

Successful and unsuccessful applicants will be advised of the outcome.

Based on the Selection Panel’s determinations, the findings and any recommendations will be used as the basis for a selection report.

During the selection process, officers within the Department of State Growth (represented by Skills Tasmania) may seek further details from the applicant or an independent industry representative. Skills Tasmania as the purchasing body will make the final decision.

Post-Grant

Arrangements for successful applicants

RTOs who are notified they have successful applications will be required to enter into a funding agreement with the Department of State Growth, on behalf of the Crown in Right of Tasmania.

The Conditions of Contract for this grant are contained in the 2015-2017 Department of State Growth (Skills Tasmania) Agreement for all Programs and of the General Terms and Conditions, Program Specific Terms and Conditions and the schedules outlined in clause 3.0 of that agreement.

The details of all successful applicants will be posted on the Skills Fund website; skills..au/funding/skills_fund.

Note: this agreement has been extended to include new contracts entered into during 2018.

Unsuccessful applications

Applicants will be deemed unsuccessful if they cannot meet all of the eligibility requirements outlined in these guidelines and/or do not adequately address the assessment criteria or are ranked less competitive.

Unsuccessful applicants will be given the opportunity to receive feedback on their application.

Payments

Details on payment arrangements can also be found in 2015-2017 Department of State Growth (Skills Tasmania) Agreement for all Programs.

Publishing details of successful grant applicants

The names of successful RTO applicants and the qualifications approved for each RTO will be made publicly available on the Skills Fund website.

Training commencement

It is a condition of the Skills Fund program that training in all places must commence within a defined timeframe. The 'training can commence from' and 'training in all places must commence by' will be identified in the Schedule agreement and PCID Report. Delivery of training cannot start earlier than that date. Each Stream has a defined period in which the awarded places must be taken up:

Existing workers has six months and Jobseekers and Volunteer Streams has twelve months.

These timeframes could be extended on request to the Skills Fund Program Manager.

Completion of training

Most training will be completed within a four year period. However if an additional period is required, RTOs are to obtain permission from the Skills Fund Program Manager to extend the contract.

Benchmarks guides and reporting

This Skills Fund has developed benchmarks guides which reflect the Stream and the learner cohort.

Existing Worker Benchmarks

High take up rates

The take up of contracted places benchmark is 90 per cent or higher of the contracted places. Evidence will be in the form of AVETMISS data relating to learner enrolment and training commencements numbers.

Training satisfaction

The satisfaction benchmark is 80 per cent or higher and will be based on employer feedback. Evidence will be in the form of follow up surveys on completion of the training.

Jobseeker Benchmarks

High take up rates

The take up of contracted places benchmark is 70 per cent or higher of the contracted places. Evidence will be in the form of AVETMISS data relating to learner enrolment and training commencements numbers.

Employment rates

Employment is a key objective of this program. The employment benchmark rate is 50 per cent or higher of the take up of places. Evidence will be in the form of learner follow up surveys following completion of their training.

Training satisfaction

The satisfaction benchmark is 80 per cent or higher and will be based on employer feedback. Evidence will be in the form of follow up surveys on completion of the training.

Mind the Gap and Volunteer Benchmarks

High take up rates

The take up of contracted places benchmark is 70 per cent or higher of the contracted places. Evidence will be in the form of AVETMISS data relating to learner enrolment and training commencements numbers.

Training satisfaction

The satisfaction benchmark is 80 per cent or higher and will be based on employer feedback. Evidence will be in the form of follow up surveys on completion of the training.

Reporting

Accurate progress reports that show evidence of how the program is meeting the benchmarks are an important part of identifying whether the program is achieving its outcomes.

This evidence forms the justification for providing funding for further support to the Tasmanian community, VET providers and workplaces.

RTOs must report training activity in accordance with the AVETMISS data requirements outlined on Skills Tasmania website .

Failure to report will result in the cessation or withholding of funding until any outstanding reports are provided and accepted by the Department of State Growth, unless a specific prior extension has been agreed to in writing.

Application tips

Write in clear simple English and avoid jargon wherever possible.

Keep acronyms at a minimum. Always assume that we do not know what they mean and write them out fully the first time they are used.

Ensure that the figures add up – check and check again.

We try to make our objectives and guidelines as clear as possible, so please read the program objectives carefully to ensure the application is in with a chance!

Write in specific terms rather than generalisations. Write in clear simple English and avoid jargon wherever possible.

Make sure the application is based on facts. Claims should be substantiated.

Where possible, provide examples and evidence that support the claims. Do not assume that the assessor will know the context and history of the RTO or partner organisation.

Supporting documentation, such as a signed Memorandum of Understanding, written agreements, procedures or templates should be relevant to the application.

Read these guidelines prior to and when completing the application form. This form has been designed in such a manner as to ensure that if all relevant components are completed, that the application will have provided a response to the appropriate selection criteria.

Don’t forget that the application will be assessed against the selection criteria in its entirety. Review the application carefully ensuring all requirements have been met.

Check that the Risk Management Plan has been reviewed and is relevant to this submission.

Check that all supporting documents and files, including the Risk Management Plan, are uploaded and attached prior to submitting your application.

| | |

| |Department of State Growth, Skills Tasmania |

| |Salamanca Place |

| |GPO Box 536 |

| |HOBART TAS 7001 |

| |03 6165 6012 |

| |skills..au |

| | | |

| | | |

| |

| |

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[1] Volunteering Involving Organisations – term used by Volunteering Tasmania

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Skills Fund Program

RTO Guide to the application process, Eligibility Criteria and Conditions

These guidelines are to be used by Endorsed Registered Training Organisations (ERTOs/RTOs) applying for funding under the Skills Tasmania Skills Fund Program.

LODGEMENT OF APPLICATION

All program documentation, can be accessed from

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE PROGRAM MANAGER

Deb Doherty: (03) 6165 6012 or debra.doherty@skills..au

Document number – D17/272051/V4

Step 1 - Enter the total nominal hours

Step 2 – Enter the FOED weighting

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