User Choice in WA

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• User Choice in WA
• What are the funding priorities?
• Traineeships
• Apprenticeships

User Choice in WA

In Western Australia, the User Choice program is administered by the Department of Education and Training.

User Choice funding is managed through annual tender processes. Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) can apply for funding to deliver apprenticeship or traineeship training qualifications for which they are registered by the Training Accreditation Council (TAC).

Decisions about what qualifications will be funded under User Choice are made taking into account:

• industry advice, through the WA Industry Training Advisory Board network;
• state training priorities, including emerging industries or occupations; and 
• national skill shortages.

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What are the funding priorities?

Priority for User Choice funding is given to:

• entry level training usually new workers undertaking training at Certificate II and III level);
• young people, aged between 15 and 24 (includes Youth Skills Initiative);
• strategic initiatives in identified skills shortage areas; and
• regional and remote training.

• a person is aged between 15-24 and does not have a formal qualification;
• a person is undertaking an apprenticeship;
• skills shortages exist in identified industry areas; or
• where a training need within an industry area or enterprise can be clearly demonstrated and a genuine commitment to training has been established.

Under User Choice existing workers are defined as those who have been employed on a full time basis for longer than three months, or twelve months on a part-time basis.  

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Traineeships

Any RTO with the appropriate scope can apply to deliver traineeships within Western Australia. The only reason that an RTO would not secure a contract is if there were issues relating to their registration or their performance related to current or past contracts held with the Department. Securing a contract is the easy bit, retaining it will be based on a number of performance benchmarks.

A new RTO will initially be allocated 12 places per trade category. The opportunity to increase these numbers will be based on demonstrated demand, RTO performance in relation to existing trainee places and available funding.

RTOs contracted to deliver traineeships can be viewed at:  Contracted Provider List

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Apprenticeships

While private RTOs can deliver any traineeship throughout the State, the Department has managed the apprenticeship training market by applying a “thin markets” policy that has restricted the number of apprenticeships available for delivery by private RTOs to a small number, largely in the Perth metropolitan area.

In 2007 the Department commissioned a review of its User Choice arrangements.  The resulting report, which was endorsed by the Minister for Education and Training, made a number of recommendations that will impact on User Choice arrangements in Western Australia.  Amongst these was a recommendation that the apprenticeship training market should be opened up to allow private RTOs with appropriate scope to apply to deliver any publicly funded apprenticeship anywhere the State. 

Click here to download a copy of the report:  Download User Choice Review

While the market will become open the Department will retain the right to strategically manage the entrance of RTOs into the market ensuring that investment in existing infrastructure is maximised and State priorities met.

In recognition of the significant commitment required to deliver apprenticeship training RTOs are contracted  for up to 3 years with annual performance reviews.

RTOs contracted to deliver apprenticeships can be viewed at:

Contracted Provider List

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