Students

VET Student Loans commenced on 1 January 2017, replacing the VET FEE-HELP scheme. The new VET Student Loans program offers greater protection for students and focus on courses that address industry needs, creating better opportunities for employment. VET Student Loans offers income contingent loan support to eligible students studying Diploma level and above vocational education and training qualifications.

The Australian Government's Quality Schools package will make Commonwealth school funding transparent, consistent and needs-based. It will ensure that students with the same need in the same sector will attract the same level of support from the Commonwealth.

High quality school education sets up our children for a life of success. The Australian Government is committed to striving for a high quality school system that assists each and every Australian child to reach their full potential so they can fully participate in the economic and social life of the community.

Under the National Innovation and Science Agenda’s Inspiring all Australians in digital literacy and STEM measure, a variety of initiatives will be introduced to increase the participation of all students and the wider community in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and to improve their digital literacy.

Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Schools and Early Learning programme (Narragunnawali) supports schools and early learning services across Australia to develop environments that foster a higher level of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions.

The Department of Education and Training is committed to reconciliation and is proud to support Narragunnawali. This commitment is outlined in the department’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2014-2017.

Australia’s national training system supports over three million students annually to gain the skills to secure and maintain rewarding and sustainable employment. This includes new job starters, those re-entering the workforce, retraining for a new job or upgrading their skills for an existing job.

Find out about the courses and assistance available to help you undertake skills training through the links below.

The National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy drives research excellence and collaboration between 35,000 researchers, government and industry to deliver practical outcomes.

The Australian Government has committed $243.8 million over four years from 2014-15 to 2017-18 to assist over 3000 schools to engage the services of a school chaplain. Consistent with the Government’s election commitment the National School Chaplaincy Programme (NSCP) aims to support the emotional wellbeing of students through the provision of pastoral care services and strategies that support the emotional wellbeing of the broader school community.

Internationally and in Australia, evidence emphasises the advantages of school autonomy as part of a comprehensive strategy for school improvement. The Australian Government recognises that school leaders and communities are best-placed to know and understand the needs of their schools, and that giving schools more control of local decision-making is one of the key ways to drive improved student outcomes.

The Australian Student Prize has ceased.

Career development is the ongoing process of managing your life, learning and work. It involves developing the skills and knowledge that enable you to plan and make informed decisions about your education, training and career choices.

The Australian Government recognises that schools play a vital role in promoting the social and emotional development and wellbeing of young Australians.

The National Youth Affairs Research Scheme was a cooperative funding program between the Australian Government and state and territory governments which ended in 2016.

The Department of Education and Training offers career opportunities in a department that brings together people, policies and programs to support the Australian Government’s initiatives including access to quality and affordable early child care and childhood education, school education, higher education, vocational education and training, international education and research.

View current Department of Education and Training Vacancies

The Australian Vocational Student Prize has ceased.

The Australian Government, through the English as a Second Language - New Arrivals Programme, provided funding to Catholic and independent schools to assist migrant students to receive intensive English language tuition.

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), part of the National Assessment Program (NAP), is a national assessment that tests students in the domains of reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy. NAPLAN testing began in 2008 and is undertaken every year in May by all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. 

The Department of Education and Training is engaging in the 2016-17 Indigenous Australian Government Development Program (IAGDP) The IAGDP is an entry-level employment and development program for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are interested in working in the Australian Public Service (APS).The program is run by the Department of Employment