Chapter 15. Career Transition Assistance

Supporting Documents for this Chapter:

• CTA – Information for Providerssign-in required (sign-in required)

• CTA – Information for Participantssign-in required (sign-in required)

• Referral Cap Supporting Document and Temporary Exemption Request Formsign-in required (sign-in required)

15.1. Chapter Overview Copy citation · §15.1

This Chapter outlines the requirements for Providers with regard to the Career Transition Assistance program (CTA).

CTA Eligible Participants can be referred to a CTA Course, with payment made by the Department to the CTA Provider upon Commencement of the Participant in CTA. Participants must not pay for a CTA Course.

15.2. BackgroundCopy citation · §15.2

CTA is a Complementary Program, administered by the Department, which Providers may access to provide practical assistance to Participants 45 and over with the aim of improving digital literacy, and increasing their employability and competitiveness in the local job market.

Each CTA Course runs for 3 to 8 weeks consecutively. Participation in a CTA Course is for a minimum of 75 hours (including a minimum of 50 hours in small group settings), excluding breaks, and no more than 25 hours per week.

Participation in CTA is voluntary.

15.3. Benefits of CTACopy citation · §15.3

The benefits of CTA include, but are not limited to:

• building skills and confidence to use everyday technologies such as computers, tablets and smart phones

• improving skills to apply for jobs online, and to use simple technology found in different workplaces

• identify existing skills and how they transfer to other jobs or industries

• better understanding of the job opportunities in their local area, and the skills needed

• updating and tailoring job applications to apply for a range of different jobs

• exploring goals and motivations.

At the end of the CTA Course, each Participant will also have a personal Career Pathway Plan and an updated résumé.

CTA Providers will leverage their local labour market and industry connections to provide at least one Employer Visit per Course.

CTA Participants can gain points under the PBAS. Participants may earn points for tasks completed (such as job applications) as part of the CTA Course, in addition to the points received for participating in the CTA Course. CTA can also be undertaken where the Participant would otherwise have Work for the Dole as the Mandatory Activity Requirement. Refer to the Job Plan and Mutual Obligation Requirements Chapter for more information.

The TCF will not apply for non-attendance in CTA, however, it will apply if Participants fail to meet their Points Requirement.

15.4. Role of ProvidersCopy citation · §15.4

Key responsibilities and actions undertaken by Providers in relation to CTA, which must be done in accordance with the Deed and these Guidelines include:

• identifying if Participants meet the eligibility criteria to participate in a CTA Course

• confirming if the CTA Course is suitable for the Participant

• confirming if the Participant:

  • has the capacity to undertake the CTA Course for the required hours per week and by the nominated delivery mode

  • is capable of undertaking, and would benefit from, referral to CTA

• where the session times of a course do not suit the Participant, then an alternative CTA Course should be selected

• in referring a CTA Eligible Participant to a CTA Course, Providers must ensure the Participant is:

  • made aware of their responsibilities, such as recording attendance,

  • made aware of, and consented to, the disclosure of relevant personal information to the CTA Provider for the purpose of managing the Participant’s referral and participation in a CTA Course selecting an appropriate schedule for details to appear in the Participant’s Calendar, in accordance with the Department's training resources

• ensuring that the CTA Provider has all the information it requires to inform the required Risk Assessments for any Outbound Employer Visits ensuring any personal information is only disclosed if the Participant has given consent

• supporting Participants to successfully complete the CTA Course

• on completion of the CTA Course, Providers must be available for the Personal Handover Meetings.

CTA Providers must enter CTA Course completion details in the Department’s IT Systems. If a Participant is required to exit from the Activity early, the Provider must contact the CTA Provider to request they action the exit.

(Deed Reference(s): Clauses 120, 122, 134)

15.5. Eligibility and SuitabilityCopy citation · §15.5

To be eligible to participate in CTA, a Participant must be aged 45 years or over and have not already completed a CTA Course. Participants who commence a CTA Course but do not complete it, may be eligible to commence in a new CTA course, subject to Departmental approval.

After assessing that a Participant is eligible to participate in CTA, the Provider must also determine that CTA is suitable for the Participant prior to referral. CTA is considered suitable for CTA Eligible Participants where the Provider believes the Participant would benefit from the program, unless the Participant has a significant non-vocational issue that needs to be addressed as a priority before they can benefit from CTA.

• System step — Providers will be able to view a list of CTA Eligible Participants via the CTA Eligibility Widget in the Department’s IT Systems.

(Deed Reference(s): Clauses 134)

15.6. Collaboration with CTA ProvidersCopy citation · §15.6

Providers will need to work with local CTA Providers to facilitate referrals to the program and ensure CTA Providers are aware of upcoming demand to schedule courses accordingly.

The Provider is expected to participate in Personal Handover Meetings to discuss the Participant’s next steps following completion of CTA, including pursuing employment and work experience opportunities. As part of this meeting, the CTA Provider will provide a copy of the Participant’s updated résumé and Career Pathway Plan. The CTA Provider will also offer the Participant 2 future Contacts to occur within 3 months of completion of CTA.

Exception - A Personal Handover Meeting is not required where a Participant exits the CTA Course prior to completing 60 hours of the scheduled CTA Course hours or to commence employment.

If a Participant transfers to a new Provider, Provider Site or is Exited from Workforce Australia Services whilst participating in CTA, they will be automatically Exited from the CTA Course by the Department’s IT Systems, irrespective of how many hours the Participant has attended. Providers should notify CTA Providers where this occurs.

15.7. Referral to CTACopy citation · §15.7

Once a CTA Provider has entered a CTA Course into the Department’s IT Systems, Providers can search for and view that CTA Course. CTA Eligible Participants are also able to view all Activities in their Employment Region for which they may be eligible.

Once a suitable CTA course has been identified in the Department’s IT Systems, the Provider must select the appropriate schedule from those available in the CTA Course, taking the CTA Eligible Participant's individual circumstances into account. Participants cannot be referred to a CTA Course after the first day of the course schedule.

As part of the referral process, the CTA Eligible Participant will undertake an Initial Meeting with the CTA Provider.

During the Initial Meeting, the CTA Provider will assess the suitability of the Participant.

If the CTA Provider believes the CTA Course is not suitable for the Participant, or the Participant will not benefit from CTA, the CTA Provider will reject the referral and advise the Provider that the Participant has not been accepted into the CTA Course, and the reasons for this.

If the Participant is unable to attend the Initial Meeting, the Participant is required to notify their Provider, who must then work with the CTA Provider to reschedule this meeting.

A place in the CTA Course will only be confirmed once the Course has been assessed as suitable for the Participant by the CTA Provider at the Initial Meeting.

• System step — Providers view available CTA Course places via the Activity Management component in the Department’s IT Systems.

Participants are to be provided with details of the suitable CTA Courses available in their Employment Regions, and Providers are required to refer Participants, in the Department's IT Systems, to the CTA Provider chosen by the Participant, where this would not exceed the Referral Cap. Information on Activity referrals is available in the Department's training resources.

(Deed Reference(s): Clauses 134.2)

15.7.1. Referral CapCopy citation · §15.7.1

Providers which are also CTA Providers (as their Own Organisation, Related Entity or Subcontractor) in the same Employment Region are subject to a Referral Cap whereby no more than 50 per cent of total referrals to CTA Courses resulting in a commencement may be made to the Provider’s Own Organisation, a Related Entity or a Subcontractor. The Provider must not refer a Participant to a CTA course if to do so would exceed the Referral Cap.

The Referral Cap will not apply if all CTA Providers in an Employment Region are the Provider’s Own Organisation, Related Entities or Subcontractors.

The Referral Cap applies at the Employment Region level and is measured on a cumulative basis over the Term of the Head Licence. Provider compliance will be reviewed by the Department on a regular basis.

Any Provider that has exceeded the Referral Cap in accordance with these Guidelines may have their capacity to make future CTA referrals to their Own Organisation, Related Entity or Subcontractor restricted, which may include the Department issuing a direction to cease referrals to those entities. This restriction will remain in place until the Provider is below the Referral Cap, or unless otherwise advised by the Department.

Providers may request a temporary exemption from the Referral Cap or access further details about the application and review process by referring to the Referral Cap Supporting Document and Temporary Exemption Request Formsign-in required (sign-in required).

(Deed Reference(s): Clauses 134.4)

• System step — The Provider can use Qlik report cREF01 to monitor their adherence to the Referral Cap.

15.8. Progress PaymentsCopy citation · §15.8

Progress Payments are available to claim when the Participant’s circumstances have been changed during participation in Workforce Australia Services such that they are more prepared to gain and maintain Employment. Completion of at least 60 hours of a CTA Course may contribute towards a Progress Payment. For Progress Payments, Providers must refer to and comply with the requirements specified in the Provider Payments and Vacancies Chapter.