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In response to COVID-19, TAFE Queensland is offering a range of short courses to help people gain new skills. As a hardship partner with the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER), TAFE Queensland is also providing the opportunity for eligible people in financial hardship to reduce their SPER debt, by completing a skill set course.
 

How it works

TAFE Queensland is offering training in a number of skill sets to Queensland residents who have been impacted by COVID-19. Skill sets are short courses built around a cluster of targeted industry skills or competencies.

 

Training is fully-funded, so there is no cost to you to access these skill set courses.

 

If you are in financial hardship and have an existing SPER debt, you can register your interest in reducing your debt through a work and development order, by undertaking a skill set course.

 

If you meet the eligibility criteria and courses are available, you may be approved by SPER to reduce your debt by up to $1,000 per month (maximum of $500 for each unit you complete under a work and development order). Some Skill Sets may deliver multiple units in the one month, however you can only claim up to 2 per month.

 

If you enrol in a course with TAFE Queensland and are approved to undertake a work and development order, your order will not start until your course does. This means that you may be subject to enforcement action by SPER if you don’t have a current payment plan for your debt until the start date of your course. You can apply for a payment plan at qld.gov.au/sper or call SPER on 1300 365 635.

 

Eligibility criteria

TAFE eligibility criteria

You may be eligible to enrol in a funded skill set course with TAFE, if you are:

  • a Queensland resident; aged 15 years or over who is no longer at school; is an Australian or New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident (including humanitarian entrants), or a temporary resident with the necessary visa and work permits on the pathway to permanent residency, and
  • not currently enrolled in a certificate III or higher level qualification, and
  • a job seeker, and can provide evidence of access or intent to access the Australian Government’s JobSeeker payment, or a copy of an Australian Government-issued concession card.

 

SPER work and development order eligibility criteria  

You may be eligible to undertake a work and development order if:

  • you are in receipt of one of the following Centrelink benefits (you will need to provide evidence):
    • Abstudy
    • Age pension
    • Austudy
    • Carer payment
    • Disability support pension
    • JobSeeker payment
    • Parenting payment
    • Sickness allowance
    • Youth allowance
  • have debt that is eligible for a work and development order. Some debts, including compensation and restitution, cannot be included in a work and development order.

 

Please note that for some courses there are additional entry requirements, please check your preferred course.

 

Get started

Application is a two-step process.

 

We will review your course application and will contact you with your offer.

We will also assess your eligibility for a work and development order. 

SPER will advise you directly whether you are approved for a work and development order, in line with the start of your course.

 
STEP 1 – register to undertake a work and development order

Review the courses below, and complete the registration form on this page. The details collected through the registration form will be used to verify your outstanding SPER debt. Once you have completed the form, click ‘complete registration’.

Step 2 - Apply for a course

You will then be asked to complete an application form for your preferred course.  This step may require you to re-supply some of your details. Please choose the pathway of ‘Job Seeker’ option and upload your Centrelink Benefit document.

 
 

Register now

TAFE Queensland's scope with SPER is currently under review.  As such we are not taking registration at this point in time, however please check back soon for an update.