Has your child decided to take an alternative higher education pathway? Aside from academic education, vocational education and training programs are also supported by government subsidies. Here’s what you need to know.
Government Subsidies
The Australian government has education support plans that offer students help to pay for their schooling. As Commonwealth-supported students exercise their right to government funding, so do VET students if they are eligible. A government subsidy is not a loan you are required to pay off -- see it as a permanent government investment in Australian youth education.
How It Works
If your child is eligible for government subsidies, you can expect the cost of the study to be decreased by 50%: meaning that the other 50% will be covered by the government.
Student eligibility does not depend on their high school grades nor success and performance, therefore possible low scores won’t cause subsidy denial.
However -- be aware that eligibility does not solely depend on the student. Not all RTOs are positioned the same, and the same course may be funded at one RTO while not funded at all at another one. Certain qualifications, such as those thin market ones, are managed by special departments and require RTOs to bear the PQS status in order to be allowed to deliver publicly funded education and training.
After you check your child’s eligibility, make sure to contact the college of choice and ask which of their courses are provided with public funding.
Prosperous Industries
While VET education can enable qualifications for widespread job positions and ensure an average job and salary, it can also help build a high-paying successful career and reach high positions in the not-so-distant future. It all depends on your child’s desires, will to learn, and passion to work and make progress.
Here are some prosperous industries that subsidised VET courses open career pathways too.
Hospitality and Tourism
Wanderlust and innovation. The two factors that pushed tourism to its peak. With developed airlines and low-fare companies, the world is getting smaller and smaller. Everything is just a day away, and people take advantage of it! The hospitality industry is growing bigger day by day due to these influences, and each year there are more and more jobs in demand.
You can count on a very successful career in whichever direction within the industry your child decides to take.
Baristas in luxury hotels make some serious money and enjoy great respect of their customers. Working on a cruise ship is a great adventure that brings knowledge, experience, and good earnings. Receptionists are in a great position to make acquaintances and quickly climb the career ladder. Hotel managers are very serious about their careers -- managing a chain of 5+ star hotels is everything but “another ordinary job”. The opportunities are out there.
Management and Leadership
Management and leadership play a crucial role in the organisation and growth of an institution -- be it a local business, a corporate company, a university, or a government -- success or failure of a business is often up to the management.
The competition on the market has never been fiercer, and maintaining good organisation and objective-based leadership is critical to an institution’s existence. That is why each entity will pay top dollar for an outstanding manager and leader.
VET management and leadership courses provide your child with practical knowledge and hands-on experience (usually in the form of an internship) that will have them ready to work and know what they’re doing from day one.
From a basic certificate to an advanced diploma in management and leadership -- VET studies of management can help your child fight to the top.
Business and Entrepreneurship
Like it or not, we live in an era of SMBs. Youths are encouraged to use their skills and talents to innovate and accelerate the development of technology even more. Every idea can be a million-dollar idea if thoroughly thought through and displayed to the right audience.
If your child is creative, autonomous, and shows leadership affinities -- a business career may be the best fit for them. Whether they already have aspirations to start their own business or prefer to work with someone else, for now, the business courses will prepare them for all spheres of business -- from leadership to administration.
Commercial Cookery
If your child enjoys spending time in the kitchen, and your family enjoys eating everything they cook up -- then you may suggest they take the professional cooking path.
Chef and sous-chef positions have been in steadily increasing demand over the last couple of years. Demand raises the price, and, well...let’s just say it is a very profitable career path to take.
As a distinguished chef, your child would be offered job opportunities everywhere around the globe, whereas an internship at five-star restaurants during their VET studies will only contribute to a jump start.
Think It Through
As beautiful as it sounds, each choice asks for commitment and sacrifice. Making it to the top is not an easy game. While each of these industries offers amazing opportunities to succeed, it is up to the individual whether they’ll rule the world or end up with “an average job and life”.
Your child is now at a crossroads, and your support can take them far. It is important to understand that they are doing their best to cope with the changes that this period of life is putting on their table, and your unconditional support will be an irreplaceable stimulus to succeed.