Queensland

National Youth Participation Requirement

• The National Youth Participation Requirement is covered in amendments to the Queensland Education (General Provisions) Act, 2006.
• Queensland’s compulsory participation requirement means that all young people must participate in an eligible option:
• for two years after they complete compulsory schooling (i.e. completed year 10 or turned 16 years of age) or
• until they turn 17 years of age or
• until they complete a Queensland Certificate of Education (or Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement), Senior Statement or a Certificate III or IV vocational qualification.
• Where a young person can not participate in any eligible option or it would be unreasonable to require them to do so an exemption from the compulsory participation phase may be granted. An exemption from compulsory participation is not required for a young person to undertake a recognised apprenticeship or traineeship. A young person in the compulsory participation phase requires a partial exemption if seeking to combine part-time work with education and/or training but does not require an exemption to engage in full-time work (i.e. at least 25 hours per week).

Education/training entitlement for 15-24 year olds

• The Education or Training Entitlement has been implemented by the Queensland Department of Education and Training and is reflected in its Purchasers’ Agreements with TAFE Institutes. The provision of funding to TAFE institutes is managed by annual Purchasers’ Agreements which specify the quantum of funding, identify training priorities and articulate a range of conditions. The Purchasers’ Agreements for 2010-11 will identify that a training entitlement for this group exists and that this entitlement must be met with the funding being provided.
• Implementation of the Education or Training Entitlement in Queensland is a continuation of existing efforts to support young people to stay engaged in education and training and re-engage those who have disengaged. This approach is expected to further increase school and VET participation levels in Queensland with demand to be met through government and non-government schools and publicly-funded VET providers in the first instance.
• Students 17 years and under undertaking government-funded vocational education and training at TAFE as part of their senior studies are exempt from tuition and student services fees. This is part of Queensland’s Education and Training Reforms for the Future initiative.
• Any additional demand that results from the entitlement is to be met through previously agreed funding under the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development and the Productivity Places Program National Partnership. This funding is allocated through industry-led arrangements that include contestable processes open to public and private Registered Training Organisations. These arrangements will assist to ensure that shifts in industry and student demand for training as a result of entitlement can be met.