On 1 July 2026, the Department of Trade, Employment and Training (DTET) released an updated version of the Career Start and Career Boost Program policies. You can download a copy of the updated policies below:
The guidance updates were made in response to feedback from the Skills Assure Supplier (SAS) network following the introduction of the Skills Assure Supplier arrangements on 1 July 2025. The updates are intended to strengthen program delivery and address key issues raised by stakeholders.
So, what guidance has been added or clarified?
It is important to highlight that the core requirements in the program policies remain unchanged however clearer information, and added guidance have been included to reduce ambiguity and help ensure a more consistent understanding and application of policy requirements across all Skills Assure Suppliers.
The updated Career Start Program Policy provides additional guidance in the following areas:
- The policy now makes it clearer that self-funded and fee-for-service qualifications do not affect a candidate’s eligibility for Career Start. While this was partially addressed in the previous policy through references to foundation skills and school-based qualifications, the new wording provides a much clearer explanation of the types of training that can be excluded when assessing eligibility.
- One of the more helpful clarifications in the updated policy relates to the 10-year entitlement rule. When assessing eligibility, the 10-year period is now clearly defined as the 10 years immediately prior to a candidate’s enrolment date. This provides greater certainty when determining a student’s entitlement, as the previous policy did not explicitly explain how the 10-year timeframe should be applied.
- Another important clarification relates to how superseded funded programs are assessed when determining eligibility. When conducting the Apprenticeships Info Self Service (AISS) search, you must check for any qualifications completed within the previous 10 years including qualifications completed through superseded government-funded programs, such as Certificate 3 Guarantee and Higher-Level Skills.
- The updated policy reinforces that school students can only access a government-funded apprenticeship or traineeship through a registered School-Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SAT). It also clarifies how entitlement is treated for school students. For example, when a school student completes a SAT, this does count towards a candidate’s apprenticeship/traineeship entitlement under Career Start.
- Further clarification has also been provided regarding lower-level qualifications. You must ensure eligible candidates do not undertake more than one lower-level vocational qualification funded under Career Start. Candidates who have completed a department-funded lower-level qualification within the previous 10 years, where that qualification is recognised as a pathway to employment within a particular industry, will be ineligible to access a further lower-level qualification under Career Start.
- The updated policy also provides a helpful reminder about Certificate II funding for lower-level qualifications. A candidate can only access one government-funded Certificate II qualification through a post-school training program. The only exception to this rule is for qualifications undertaken through Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW). You must always check a candidate’s funded training history to ensure they haven’t already used their Certificate II entitlement through another post-school program.
The updated Career Boost Program Policy provides clearer guidance in the following areas:
- Similar to the updates seen in the Career Start Program Policy, clearer guidance has been provided in relation to the application of the 10-year rule and the exclusion of self-funded and fee-for-service qualifications when determining eligibility.
- The updated policy provides additional guidance for candidates seeking to undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship pathway. Specifically, the policy states that an eligible candidate must not be a school student, must be employed under a registered Queensland training contract, and must not be enrolled in another DTET-funded qualification. While these requirements are outlined in the respective Program Schedule, their inclusion within the program policy improves consistency and strengthens clarity.
- Another helpful clarification relates to school-based apprenticeships and traineeships. The updated policy makes it clear that when a student completes a subsidised SAT, they use one of their available apprenticeship or traineeship entitlements under DTET-funded training pathway.
- The updated policy also provides greater clarity around prerequisite qualifications. Where the Queensland Subsidised Training List (QSTL) identifies a prerequisite qualification, students can only access government funding for one of the linked qualifications, unless an exception is specifically noted on the QSTL. Importantly, if the prerequisite qualification was completed through a fee-for-service arrangement, this will not affect the candidate’s eligibility to access funded training under Career Boost.
Another notable observation across both policies, is that it reinforces the expectation that SAS delivery is focused on skills acquisition rather than Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) outcomes. As such, Registered Training Organisations who primarily focus on RPL will be ineligible to participate in the Career Start and Career Boost programs.
What does this mean for you?
The additional guidance provides a valuable opportunity to review your existing process and practices. We encourage you to review your internal checklists, procedures, and controls to ensure they continue to align with DTET’s updated guidance.
We also highly recommend sharing the updated guidance to all team members involved in the student journey, particularly those responsible for conducting eligibility checks, the recruitment of prospective students, providing pre-enrolment information and marketing materials, and managing the enrolment process. Taking the time to reinforce these requirements with staff will help ensure a consistent approach across all student interactions, support compliance obligations, and provide prospective students with clear, accurate, and timely information at every stage of their decision-making and enrolment journey.
To help with this task, we have developed a quick checklist for your team to use.
Communicate and share the guidance updates with your staff and confirm their understanding.
Review your pre-enrolment information against the updated program policies. Apply updates to your marketing materials and website pages to promote clarity and transparency.
Review your current checklists which are used to assess eligibility.
Review your enrolment procedures to ensure alignment with the updated program policies.
Update documents, forms, or templates as required and seek approval from your manager/CEO prior to use.
Conduct an internal training session with your staff to ensure they understand the document/procedural updates.
Review and update system workflows in your student management system (where applicable).
Remember, to record these activities in your continuous improvement register.
Wrapping up
Keeping up with these guidance updates can be challenging, particularly when the information may require immediate review of your organisation’s systems, processes and documentation. At Hawkeye Consultancy, we work closely with Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to help them navigate contractual and compliance requirements with confidence. From interpreting guidance materials and reviewing internal procedures to strengthening compliance practices, our team provides practical support to ensure your organisation remains aligned with the SAS Framework.
Let us help you turn complex requirements into clear and practical actions so you can focus on delivering quality training outcomes. To discuss your compliance needs, please feel free to give us a call or email our team.
- Phone: (07) 2113 3870
- Email: [email protected]
Helpful tip
We recommend having a read of the AISS Search – Interpreting Eligibility Guide. This guide includes practical examples that show you how to apply the 10-year rule when assessing eligibility, as well as other scenarios to help your team better understand and interpret the AISS results and information.