Vocational Education and Training Delivered to School Students

Policy

This policy outlines the purpose of Vocational Education and Training (VET) delivered to school students (VDSS), the ways schools may plan for and offer VDSS and how VDSS funding is allocated.

Summary

• VET allows students to work towards qualifications for all types of employment and gain sector-specific skills to help them in the workplace.
• Undertaking VET while at school allows students to mix general and vocational education and to make a start on training for a career before they leave school.
• VET studies allow secondary students to gain practical skills in a specific industry while contributing towards the completion of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), including the VCE Vocational Major.
• Students can also study VET through school-based apprenticeships or traineeships (SBATs) or part-time apprenticeships and traineeships. In government schools, all SBATs are supported by the Head Start program.
• Schools are encouraged to promote and communicate vocational and applied learning and pathways as of equal standing to ‘academic’ learning and pathways.
• All government schools and participating Catholic and independent secondary schools have access to an effective VET Cluster which facilitate collaboration to provide expanded access to VDSS for students.
• Schools and VET clusters are encouraged to actively engage in VDSS provision planning for VET courses in the following year.

Details

Schools are encouraged to support students to access the VET certificates within the VDSS Core Offering, a set of 12 pathways comprised of 41 VET certificates that reflect student interests, areas of industry need and jobs growth.

Schools are recommended to work towards offering students access to VET certificates in 8 of the 12 pathways consisting of certificates in each of the 6 priority pathways and certificates in 2 of the flexible pathways.

For more information about the VDSS Core Offering refer to the Guidance tab.

Schools can support student access to VDSS by:

• running VET programs directly, where the school is approved by either the Australian Skills Quality Authority or the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (as appropriate to the individual school) as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO)
• engaging external RTOs, including TAFEs, to deliver VET programs either directly or through auspicing arrangements. For further information refer to: Purchasing Secondary Courses and Vocational Training from External Providers
• offering school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs). For further information refer to: School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships
• collaborating as part of the VET Cluster Framework (the Framework). The Framework allows schools to work together with other schools (including participating Catholic and independent secondary schools) and Victorian Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLENs) to jointly plan for (provision planning) and provide VDSS to cater for local student needs. For more information on the VET Cluster Framework, please refer to the Guidance tab.

Provision planning for VDSS

Provision planning is the process by which schools and clusters estimate student demand and identify suitable providers and modes of delivery for VDSS courses.

Schools and clusters undertake provision planning throughout the school year to prepare for the following year.

For more information on provision planning activities for schools and clusters refer to the Guidance tab.

VDSS funding

The primary source of funding for VDSS is through the Student Resource Package (SRP) provided to schools.

Government schools also receive targeted VET funding to support the higher cost of provision in this area.

A new VDSS funding model for Victoria government schools was introduced in 2023 and will continue in 2025.

The current VDSS funding model features:

• funding bands for VDSS to support VET provision. Funding will be allocated pro-rata for enrolments up to 180 hours per VET certificate per year
• funding bands for VET materials costs allocated per VET certificate enrolment per year
• a small-scale adjustment to offset VDSS costs for schools with low total enrolment numbers.

The following table shows the 6 VDSS funding bands for 2025.

Funding for students undertaking VET through an SBAT is provided through Skills First. These enrolments are not eligible for targeted VET funding.

School-based RTOs are eligible to receive VET materials funding for some certificates for government school students. The department will communicate the Schools Targeted Funding Governance Portal process directly to school-based RTOs each year.

Please contact vet.secondary@education.vic.gov.au if your school-based RTO has students in this situation.

Schools can use the SRP budget planner (available through the SRP Portal) to estimate their VDSS funding for budget planning purposes.

Reference 143 of the SRP Guide outlines the revised VDSS funding model, including how funding for VET programs is allocated to schools and how schools may use their targeted VET funding.

Eligibility for VDSS funding

A VET program will be eligible for funding where:

• the program is provided to students undertaking certificates at levels II and III (with certificates IV and above dependent on Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority approval) as part of their VCE, VCE Vocational Major or VPC studies
• the student is aged between 15 and 20 years of age (inclusive)
• for VET materials, the costs incurred are for items that are necessarily consumed or transformed by students as part of training or assessment.

Not all VET programs are eligible for VDSS funding. The following are excluded:

• programs undertaken outside of the school curriculum that are not contributing to a student’s senior secondary studies
• traineeships undertaken by students outside of school (such as in a part-time employment arrangement)
• Certificates in General Education and School-based Support.

Schools can contact their local Jobs Skills and Pathways Manager (via their DE regional office or VET Cluster) for further information about whether a program is eligible for VDSS funding.

VET materials funding

VET materials funding is incorporated into the SRP under the revised funding model. This funding will help to address the cost barrier for essential learning materials for VET studies.

What are VET materials?

• VET materials are items required for the provision of a VET program. These items are necessarily consumed or transformed by students as part of training or assessment requirements.
• Where an item is consumed or transformed through the undertaking of the VET program, the item is deemed as consumable and is covered by VET materials funding provided to schools. For example, the ingredients for a recipe that students need to complete as part of assessment.
• Where an item is retained by a student and is not consumed or transformed (in part or in whole) this item is deemed non-consumable and must be purchased by the student or their family. Examples include make-up kits, boots, hammers and hairbrushes.

The funding of VET materials aims to allow government schools to support VET selection based on a student’s strengths and interests, without the barrier of financial constraints. If a student is unable to provide or purchase their own tools and equipment, the school must ensure that the student has free access to tools and equipment as required for the delivery of the curriculum.

The approach to VET materials funding consists of 2 funding bands based on analysis of market costs. Certificates are placed into either a high-cost or a low-cost materials funding band:

• high-cost certificate band: $450
• low-cost certificate band: $250.

Schools will receive payments as quarterly cash grants through the SRP as part of VDSS funding allocations.

Schools can use the SRP budget planner (available through the SRP Portal) to estimate their VDSS funding for budget planning purposes.

Where parents choose to purchase additional or alternate items from those provided or recommended by the school or provider, they may do so at their own expense. However, schools must be clear in communications that this is a voluntary decision by parents.

For further information on the VDSS funding model, refer to: Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives: Reference 143.

When can parents and families provide voluntary contributions for VET materials?

Schools cannot refuse students instruction in a VET course, including an ‘elective’, on the basis of financial contributions or payments not being made because all VET courses provided to students by the school are delivered as part of the curriculum.

Schools can invite parents to bring from home or purchase VET tools and equipment directly from third parties instead of using what is made available for free by the school. When inviting parents to purchase VET tools and equipment directly from a third-party provider, the school may include a list of recommended tools and equipment. If a parent does not provide or purchase their own tools and equipment, the school must ensure that students have free access to tools and equipment as required for the school’s delivery of the curriculum.

Schools are not required to provide students with items to own, or keep, on a one-to-one basis. However, schools must determine appropriate resourcing to ensure students have access to the relevant VET tools and equipment for the duration required to access the curriculum.

For further information around parent payments, refer to: Parent Payments.

VET materials funding for SBATs

Government school-based RTOs will be eligible for VET materials funding for materials costs incurred as part of the delivery of apprenticeship and traineeship programs run through their school. Government school-based RTOs will receive the allocated band funding amount per eligible certificate, for each SBAT enrolment from a government school. This includes enrolments supported by Head Start.

For more information about how to access this funding please contact vet.secondary@education.vic.gov.au

Related policies

• Career Education Funding (Reference 91 of the Student Resource Package Guide)
• Parent Payments
• Purchasing Secondary Courses and Vocational Training from External Providers
• School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships
• School Community Work
• Structured Workplace Learning
• Student Dress Code
• Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives
• VCE Vocational Major and VPC Contracts
• Work Experience

Relevant legislation

• Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)

Contact

For government schools

Schools can contact the Jobs Skills and Pathways Manager in your regional office in the first instance.

For Catholic schools

Contact the relevant Diocese representative:

Carmel Clark
Ballarat Catholic Education
pathways@dobcel.catholic.edu.au

Jenny Wilson and Merry Young
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools
pathways@macs.vic.edu.au

Sam Franzi
Sale Catholic Education
pathways@doscel.catholic.edu.au

Barry Norton
Catholic Education Sandhurst
pathways@ceosand.catholic.edu.au

For Independent schools

Independent Schools Victoria
Maria Floudiotis
Education Consultant – Careers
Phone: 03 9825 7246
Email: maria.floudiotis@is.vic.edu.au

Guidance

VDSS Core Offering

The Vocational Education and Training (VET) delivered to school students (VDSS) Core Offering is a set of certificates grouped into 12 pathways. The 12 pathways are organised into 6 priority pathways and 6 flexible pathways. Schools are encouraged to work towards providing students access to a choice of 8 certificates from within the VDSS Core Offering – at least 6 from the priority pathways and at least 1 certificate from 2 of the flexible pathways.

The 6 priority pathways include VET certificates that lead to skills and employment in Victoria’s growth industries and government priorities. The 6 flexible pathways include additional VET certificates that are aligned to students’ interests, regional demand, and community needs.

All 41 certificates in the VDSS Core Offering are within the VCE-VET programs developed by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA).

These certificates have been chosen because they are most suitable for school-aged students to develop the skills and knowledge required for specific industries and align to the requirements of VCAA.

The VDSS Core Offering will be reviewed regularly to reflect shifts in Victoria’s economy and any changes in the VET certificates available to school students.

Priority VDSS pathways

Health

• Certificate II in Health Support Service
• Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance (partial completion) incorporating Certificate III in Health Services Assistance*^

Community Services and Early Childhood Education

• Certificate II in Active Volunteering
• Certificate III in Community Services incorporating Certificate II in Community Service*^
• Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (partial completion)^
• Certificate II in Applied Language
• Certificate III in Applied Language

Building and Construction

• Certificate II in Construction Pathways^
• Certificate II in Building and Construction Pre-apprenticeship (partial completion)^
• Certificate II in Plumbing (Pre-apprenticeship)^
• Certificate II in Civil Construction^

Digital Media and Technologies

• Certificate II in Applied Digital Technologies
• Certificate III in Information Technology*^
• Certificate II in Integrated Technologies (Pre-vocational)*^

Hospitality

• Certificate II in Hospitality*^
• Certificate II in Cookery (previously Certificate II in Kitchen Operations)*^

Clean Energy and Engineering

• Certificate II in Engineering Studies*^
• Certificate III in Laboratory Skills*^
• Certificate II in Electrotechnology (Career Start)^
• Certificate II in Electrotechnology Studies (Pre-vocational)^

Flexible VDSS pathways

Automotive

• Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation^

Agriculture and Environment

• Certificate II in Agriculture^
• Certificate II in Horticulture^
• Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management^
• Certificate II in Animal Care^

Hair and Beauty

• Certificate II in Retail Cosmetics
• Certificate II in Salon Assistant
• Certificate III in Beauty Services^
• Certificate III in Make-Up^

Creative Industries

• Certificate II in Creative Industries
• Certificate III in Screen and Media*^
• Certificate II in Apparel, Fashion and Textiles (previously Certificate II in Applied Fashion Design and Technology)^
• Certificate II in Music
• Certificate III in Music (Performance)*^
• Certificate III in Music (Sound Production)*^
• Certificate III in Dance*^

Sport and Recreation

• Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation
• Certificate II in Sport and Recreation
• Certificate III in Sport, Aquatics and Recreation (previously Certificate III in Sport and Recreation) *^

Business

• Certificate II in Workplace Skills
• Certificate III in Business*^
• Certificate II in Small Business (Operations/Innovation)^

* Scored pathway available

^ Unit 3 and 4 sequence available

VET Cluster Framework

A VET cluster is a network of schools in an area that collaborate, often with the support of a Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN), to improve student access to VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS).

The department’s VET Cluster Framework ensures all schools have access to an effective VET cluster. The Framework:

• applies to all government schools as well as Catholic and independent schools that choose to participate in VET clusters with government schools
• outlines the functions of VET clusters
• provides guidance as to recommended governance and operational structures.

The department will support clusters to implement the Framework. Clusters can adapt the Framework to suit their local needs.

VET cluster transition funding is available to both new and existing clusters to support their implementation of the framework. For new clusters, it will support the employment of dedicated cluster coordinators through the LLEN. For existing clusters, this funding will be available in partnership with the LLEN to support enhanced functionality of the cluster.

The process of applying for VET cluster transition funding will also be supported by Jobs Skills and Pathways Managers.

A critical function of VET clusters once functioning is to support schools to collaborate on provision planning.

VDSS Provision Planning in 2025

Provision planning is the process that schools and clusters use to estimate their students’ demand for courses in the following school year and to identify suitable modes of delivery and providers that can provide these courses.

Key activities in the provision planning process

Schools and clusters are encouraged to consider the following activities as part of their provision planning.

The activities may be undertaken by either individual schools or as a cluster.

All activities are a guide, and schools and clusters can implement and adapt the activities based on their context, including their cluster’s level of maturity.

Schools can plan for the provision of VDSS by:

• conducting career counselling with students. Schools may use career counselling, including Morrisby and Career Action Plans to ensure students are aware of available VET opportunities
• exploring providers and program selection. Schools must assess the type of VDSS programs their students are interested in and explore how these may be facilitated. When researching providers’ course offerings, schools can consider factors such as proximity to the school, previous experience with providers or the suitability of a mode of delivery. Schools may use the previous year’s provision to inform these decisions
• selecting an RTO. Schools must select their preferred providers based on planning activities and conversations with providers and clusters. Schools may contact local TAFEs and other providers as a first step to communicate their training needs and request offers in response. TAFEs and other providers will continue to work with schools to match demand and supply of courses
• running engagement activities within the school. Schools can organise various engagement activities, such as information nights, discovery days, open days, and taster programs, to promote and gauge interest in VDSS.

Clusters can plan for the provision of VDSS by:

• inputting planning estimates. It is recommended that schools within the cluster document planning estimates by pathway/certificate and share this data with the cluster to assist in assessing demand
• planning course offering collaboratively. It is recommended that clusters work together to assess demand using a data-driven approach and combine students to create and maintain viable class sizes
• collaborating with providers. It is recommended that clusters work together with providers to resolve problems and gain insights into future provision opportunities. This can be done by raising issues through a dedicated Cluster Coordinator.

Other information and support

Schools may seek further advice and assistance regarding clusters and provision planning from their local Job, Skills and Pathways Manager.

• Visit the VCAA website for more information on VCE VET, VCE Vocational Major (VM) and VPC courses including assessment and VCE credits.
• Utilise the VRQA provider and course register to locate accredited courses and providers registered with the VRQA in Victoria. State Register – Search.
• For information about Registered Training Organisations regulated by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) which operate in Victoria please visit the National Register website.

Resources

Get VET website

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Get VET website details a wide range of available education and training opportunities through VET. Schools can access this to ensure they are aware of all the experience and opportunities students can gain through VET. Students can also use the site to make informed decisions for their future.

VDSS funding

SRP budget planner (SRP portal) can be used by Victorian government schools to estimate VDSS funding for budget planning purposes.

VRQA provider and course register

Schools can utilise the VRQA provider and course register to locate accredited courses and providers registered with the VRQA in Victoria: State Register – Search.

For information about Registered Training Organisations regulated by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) which operate in Victoria please visit the National Register website.

VET Cluster Framework

The VET Cluster Framework ensures all schools have access to an effective VET Cluster.