Career Start

CAREER START FUNDING

About the Program

Career Start is one of the Queensland Governments programs core funded vocational education and training (VET) Programs, managed by the Department of Trade Employment and Training (DTET).

Aligned with skills outcomes required by industry, it provides support to individuals to start their career and offers either a general training pathway or an employment based (apprenticeship/traineeship) pathway, at a certificate III level.

It also supports access to lower level qualifications including pre-apprenticeships and qualifications for Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) projects and other identified groups.

Entitlements

Under Career Start, an individuals may access up to two subsidised training places through one of the following options:

a general qualification at a certificate III and an apprenticeship/traineeship, noting that if the apprenticeship/traineeship is done first, the individual is no longer eligible to access a general qualification under Career Start or;
Two apprenticeships/Traineeships at either certificate II or III, including school based traineeships

Please note: a maximum of two apprenticeships/traineeships applies across all programs.

Important:

An individual cannot do two general pathway qualifications under Career Start. This is to ensure equitable access to training opportunities for all eligible Queenslanders.

An individual cannot do more than one lower level qualification, but may be eligible for a second subsidised training place aligned to a certificate III qualification.

Eligibility

General Training

General training pathways are available for direct enrolments and do not require the student to enter into a training contract.

To access a subsidised training place under Career Start, a student must meet the following criteria:

Eligible Students must meet the following criteria:

be aged 15 years or older;
be a permanent Queensland resident;
be an Australian citizen, or Australian permanent resident (includes humanitarian entrant), or temporary resident with the right visa and work permits on the pathway to permanent residency, or a New Zealand citizen

The following individuals are NOT eligible for Career Start for the General Training Pathways program:

school students;
individuals currently enrolled in a Qualification funded by the Department, even if it is on hold or deferred;
individuals who have completed a Qualification within the last 10 years immediately preceding the individual’s enrolment with the exception of:
A. Qualifications completed as a school student; or
B. Foundation Skills Qualifications;
C. Qualifications funded by the Department under a Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) Program.

Employment Based

Employment based pathways require the individual to be employed as an apprentice/ trainee.

School students can only access apprenticeships and traineeships through a registered SAT. This is to ensure a school student does not use their entire apprenticeship/traineeship entitlement while at school.

To be eligible to receive government subsidised training, the apprentice or trainee must:

Eligible Students must meet the following criteria:

are currently employed as a Queensland apprentice or trainee (under a registered training contract) in a funded apprenticeship or traineeship Qualification through this Program, as published on the Queensland Subsidised Training List;

The following individuals are NOT eligible for the Career Start Traineeship and Apprenticeship Pathways program:

school students;
individuals currently enrolled in a Qualification funded by the Department, even if it is on hold or deferred;
individuals who have completed two Department funded apprenticeship/traineeship qualifications (including School Based Apprenticeships) within the 10 years immediately preceding the individual’s proposed enrolment with the exception of qualifications funded by the Department under a Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) Program; or
individuals who have completed a Department funded general training pathway Qualification and Traineeship/Apprenticeship within the 10 years immediately preceding the individuals proposed enrolment.

To be eligible to receive Free Apprenticeships for Under 25, eligible apprentices or trainees must:

be aged under 25 years prior to entering into a training contract (commencing or recommencing) for a qualification that is funded by the Department through Free Apprenticeships for Under 25s;
be currently employed as a Queensland apprentice or trainee (under a registered training contract) in an eligible apprenticeship or traineeship qualification through this program;
be no longer enrolled at school;
commence or recommence their apprenticeship or traineeship between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2027;
not currently be enrolled in a qualification; and
not exceed a maximum of two government-funded apprenticeships or traineeships within a 10-year period.