As at 27 April 2020 – VET funding announcements in response to COVID-19

• New South Wales – free short courses available through TAFE NSW.
• Victoria – $260.8 million in additional funding for Victorian TAFEs to stabilise funding and assist in the shift to online delivery.  Free short courses are also available.
• Queensland– $500 million in funding is available for unemployed workers to reskill, find other jobs with a similar skill requirement and transition to new occupations. Free short courses are also available at TAFE Queensland and Central Queensland University.
• South Australia– $650 million for a Jobs Rescue Package with some of the funding will be used to help reskill unemployed people. This includes funding for a VET Market Continuity Package with two measures in place for training providers which have existing contracts with the State Government:
  • a $4m investment that enables training providers to shift to online delivery, and
  • continuity of subsidy payments at pre-COVID activity levels for a period of three months until June 2020, after which payments will be reviewed.
• Western Australia – to date no additional funding for skills development has been announced.
• Tasmania – Rapid Response Skills Initiative which provides $6.3 million in additional funding to allow individuals made unemployed through COVID-19 to access up to $3,000 for skills and licences to help them gain a new role.
• ACT – increasing subsidies to already contracted providers for apprenticeships and traineeships and other VET in areas linked to skills needed across a range of industries. No details are available on the quantum of the funding increase.
• Commonwealth – 6 month loan administration fee waivers on VET Student Loans and waivers on some ASQA regulatory fees.