Program Changes

From 1 July 2025, the Higher Level Skills program has been replaced by the Career Boost Program 2025-28 through the new Skills Assure Supplier framework.

For more information, please see Career Boost Program 2025-28 policy

Overview

Strategix Training Group is an approved Skills Assure Supplier, this means you may be able to access funding while studying with us. The Career Boost Program is one type of funding offered by the QLD Government.

In this document, you will find all the relevant funding information and how it relates to eligible students. If you choose to enrol and apply for funding, you will receive both a tentative enrolment email and a confirmation of enrolment which will provide you with the specific times, locations and requirements for your enrolment.

What is Career Boost?

Career Boost is a funding program managed by the Department of Trade, Employment and Training (DTET). It supports the delivery of subsidised training opportunities for Queenslanders aligned to the priorities set out in the DTET Training Priorities Plan.

Career Boost aims to enable a person to grow and apply their skills to existing or new job roles and develop higher-level skills needed to secure employment, advance their careers, or progress to further education and training to undertake university or tertiary qualifications.

Career Boost offers either a general training pathway or an employment-based apprenticeship or traineeship pathway.

Under Career Boost, an eligible individual may access:

One subsidised training place in either a certificate IV, diploma, or advanced diploma qualification under the general training pathway; OR
A higher level apprenticeship/traineeship at certificate IV or above; and
Up to two subsidised skill sets in priority industries or sectors as part of the program.

If an individual has already accessed two apprenticeships/traineeships through a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SAT) or Career Start within the last 10 years, they are not eligible to undertake an apprenticeship/traineeship under Career Boost.

An individual cannot do two general pathway qualifications under Career Boost.

DTET may amend student eligibility requirements at any time based on factors such as budget, emerging priorities, and the need to ensure a pipeline of workers for critical occupations and improved access to job opportunities for identified priority cohorts.

Available Training

Eligible Career Boost qualifications and skill sets are listed on the Queensland Subsidised Training List (QSTL). The Student version of the QSTL can be found here. The list will also include any entry restrictions or exemptions based on requirements determined by industry and national training packages.

Some qualifications are only available through a specific training pathway (general, apprenticeship or traineeship), based on the preferred delivery methods of the industry or sector.

Foundation Skills

Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Digital (LLND) skills may also be subsidised in certain circumstances, based on an individual’s learning or skilling needs.

If foundational skills are needed first, a student may wish to consider other DTET programs such as Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) or Career Start. These programs help build essential entry-level capabilities before moving to advanced training.

Eligibility Requirements

General Training Pathway

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

Aged 15 years or older
Not be a school student
Permanently residing in Queensland
Be an Australian citizen, or an Australian permanent resident (includes humanitarian entrant), or a temporary resident with the right visa and work permits on the pathway to permanent residency, or a New Zealand citizen
Not already have a certificate IV or higher qualification (including tertiary qualification) completed within the last 10 years (qualifications completed as a school student and foundation skills qualifications do not count). Note: This eligibility requirement does not apply to individuals seeking to enrol in a skill set.
Not be enrolled in another qualification, even if it is on hold or deferred, whether funded by DTET or not (foundation skills qualifications do not count).

Along with the eligibility criteria above, specific entry restrictions or exemptions may apply to certain subsidised qualifications and skill sets. These are set by industry or sector requirements, as well as national training package guidelines.

Apprenticeship / Traineeship Pathway

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

Have entered into a Contract (training contract) for a qualification that is funded by DTET and be registered on DTET systems
If from overseas, have a visa allowing them to work in Australia
Not have already completed two apprenticeship/traineeship qualifications (including SATs) within the last 10 years.

Eligibility Evidence

Accepted Eligibility Evidence

Evidence	Date of Birth	QLD Residency	Australian Citizenship	NZ Citizenship	Australian Permanent Residency	Australian Temporary Residency
Queensland Driver licence	✓	✓*
Queensland Adult Proof of Age Card	✓	✓*
Queensland Heavy vehicle or marine licence	✓	✓*
Pensioner Concession Card		✓*
Health Care Card		✓†
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card		✓†
Medicare card (Green)					✓
Interim Medicare card (Blue)						✓‡
Reciprocal Health Care card (Yellow)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Passport	✓		✓§	✓§
Australian citizenship certificate	✓**		✓
Birth certificate	✓		✓§	✓§

Key

*	Front and Back of card required to be retained if being used as evidence of address
**	Approved by contract management as acceptable evidence in addition to those listed in the PQS Audit Evidence Guide.
†	Must display a QLD Address to be valid as evidence.
‡	Blue Medicare card must be accompanied by the necessary Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection / Department of Home Affairs documentation, visa and work permit on the pathway to permanent residency.
§	Must be an Australian Citizen or hold a New Zealand birth certificate, birth extract or passport if used as evidence of Australian or New Zealand citizenship.

Additional Evidence
Additional evidence to support Queensland residency includes:

Australian Electoral Commission document (e.g. acknowledgement of electoral enrolment letter or electoral enrolment card)
Contract of property purchase, lease / rental document, mortgage/land ownership certificate
Electricity, gas or telephone account issued in the last six (6) months
Queensland local government rates notice
Queensland Driver Licence or Queensland Driver Licence Receipt
Bank statement issued within the last six (6) months
Official letter from Centrelink or the Australian Government Department of Human Services
Australian Taxation Office assessment / Tax-file number confirmation notice
Notice from the Court issued the last six (6) months (must contain seal/stamp). **

Fees and Charges

Co-Contribution Fees

General Pathway

Students enrolled in certificate IV or higher qualifications, as well as skill sets, are required to contribute to the cost of training through a co-contribution (student) fee. This fee can be paid by an employer/organisation, a family member, or a friend, but it cannot be paid or waived by the SAS or any person or entity connected to the SAS.

The fee amount is a decision for the SAS. The fee must be published on the SAS’s website and must represent total costs to the student for the qualification, including materials costs.

The SAS cannot charge a student for creating a Training and Assessment Plan or Training Record. The SAS also cannot charge students for any additional materials once enrolment has occurred.

Apprenticeships & Traineeships Pathway

For apprenticeships and traineeships, the fee is different as both the employer and SAS share responsibility for training. The fee is set at $1.60 per nominal training hour for each unit of competency and is the same across all SAS providers. Only DTET can adjust the fee amount, which is reviewed yearly.

A SAS must charge only 40% of the standard fee if an apprentice/trainee meets any of the following criteria:

Under 17 years of age at the end of February in the year training is provided
Is not at school and has not coCO-mpleted Year 12
Holds a Health Care Card or Veteran or Pensioner Concession Card, or is the partner or dependent of someone who does
Identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person (First Nations people).

If an apprentice/trainee is experiencing serious financial difficulties and can demonstrate this, they may qualify for a full fee exemption.

Student Support is also available for:

Apprentices or trainees from Priority Population Groups (PPGs), as identified in the Contract, e.g. individuals from non-English speaking backgrounds or with a disability
Students enrolled in fee-free training initiatives, such as Free Apprenticeships for under 25s, which focus on specific priority qualifications.

In addition to training subsidies, location loadings are paid to SAS to support face-to-face training in specific regional and remote areas of Queensland, including Cape York and theTorres Strait.

These loadings help fund training delivered in local areas, addressing community skill needs and supporting residents to secure local jobs.

QLD - Career Boost Fact Sheet