Chapter 22. Skills for Education and Employment (SEE)

Supporting Documents for this Chapter:

• Summary of Eligibility Criteria

• SEE and AMEP Client Capability Guidesign-in required (sign-in required)

• ‘How to refer to SEE’ task cardssign-in required (sign-in required)

• Differentiating between AMEP and SEE: when to refer to which program

Low levels of literacy, numeracy and basic digital skills, although a significant barrier to even entry-level Employment, are able to be addressed.

The Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program provides free accredited training in English language, reading, writing, maths and digital skills, to prepare Participants for work or further study. The program addresses the foundation skill gaps that make Participants unsuitable for many jobs and prevent their successful engagement in training for a specific occupation. After exiting the SEE program, over half the Participants surveyed through post program monitoring reported they were in Employment or education in 3 months.

SEE training can focus on language and literacy only, for example a Certificate in General Education for Adults, or numeracy and digital skills, or contextualised to support learning for those undertaking VET courses such as Childcare or Aged Care courses. SEE can be delivered in classroom settings, remotely via distance learning, or using a combination of both. Participants have flexibility to undertake individual building blocks of a course where they focus on specific skill sets, or to work toward a recognised qualification up to Certificate III level (if Language, Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy skills are embedded in the training). Training is tailored to meet a Participant’s needs and goals and can be undertaken either part-time or full-time.

Participants may be eligible for a Language, Literacy and Numeracy Supplement (LLNS) for participating in the SEE programs.

This Chapter outlines the requirements for Providers regarding the SEE program.

SEE prepares Participants for work, or further training/study as a pathway to work, through new or improved foundation and vocational skills, improved confidence, ability to fully engage in the community, and pathways to stable, long-term Employment.

Providers have the responsibility to:

• work with their local SEE Providers and ensure they are familiar with SEE’s service offering

• actively identify Participants likely to benefit, such as those with difficulty completing forms or navigating online environments, or with limited reading or writing ability, and consider referral

• ensure potential candidates are informed about the program, its flexible delivery options, and the opportunities and benefits it offers. Candidates who are hesitant should be encouraged to discuss any concerns about successful participation and be reassured of the Provider’s support

The SEE and AMEP Client Capability Guidesign-in required (sign-in required) can be completed by the SEE Provider to help inform the Provider’s servicing decisions.

(Deed Reference(s): Clauses 79, 80, 109, 122)

SEE includes a training stream for First Nations communities. This stream supports the development of local, First Nations-led solutions addressing barriers to access and delivery in First Nations communities.

SEE First Nations is a competitive grant opportunity and there are a limited number of projects. Additionally, as SEE First Nations projects are community designed and led, they will be aligned to the needs of each community and may not all be directly related to employment outcomes. Projects may also have identified the potential cohort for their respective projects.

Due to the community-led nature of these projects, Providers cannot initiate referrals under this stream. If First Nations Participants enquire about SEE First Nations training:

• Providers may advise them if there is a SEE First Nations project in their community. A list of approved First Nations Delivery Grants is available on the department’s website. www.dewr.gov.au/skills-education-and-employment/see-first-nations

• If there is a project in their community, Providers must contact the SEE First Nations Delivery grantee to discuss referral, participation requirements and eligibility, prior to any referral being entered into the Department’s IT Systems. Note: both the Participant and grantee must agree to a referral.

• Providers may also offer to explore other options available in General SEE, which is also available to First Nations Participants, should a SEE First Nations training project be unsuitable.

Where an individual has been identified by a SEE First Nations Delivery grantee and is registered with a TtW Provider, the SEE First Nations Delivery grantee may contact their TtW Provider to discuss the Participant's interest in the project and seek your assistance with a referral to the Activity.

All Participants in TtW Services are eligible for the SEE Program.

To be eligible, individuals must be aged 15 years and over, and have left school, and be an Australian citizen or permanent resident or on an eligible¹ provisional or temporary visa. They must also be deemed suitable for training without any barriers that would prevent successful participation (see Program Eligibility Criteria).

Participants are not required to be receiving an Income Support Payment or have Mutual Obligation Requirements to participate in SEE.

Potential suitability and benefit will often be indicated by the Job Seeker Snapshot. Under the heading ‘Skills for Education and Employment or Adult Migrant English Program’, the word ‘Yes’ is displayed if the job seeker self-identified low ability in speaking, reading or writing English, required an interpreter during appointments, or completed less than year 10 schooling.

• System step — Providers should review the Participant’s Job Seeker Snapshot and discuss potential referral to SEE with the Participant if any of the above indicators are present.

The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) also offers free language and literacy training to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants. The guide Differentiating between AMEP and SEEsign-in required (sign-in required) will help Providers refer clients to the most appropriate service for their needs.

After a potential SEE Participant is identified and agrees to undertake the program, the Provider must make a referral and book a Pre-Training Assessment (PTA) in the Department’s IT Systems. Once the referral and appointment booking have been received, the SEE Provider will conduct a PTA, which assesses the Participant’s foundation skills capability levels against the Australian Core Skills Framework and determines their capacity to benefit from the program.

The SEE Provider will advise the Participant and the Provider whether or not training is recommended and, if SEE is recommended, will commence the Participant in a course of study aligned to their goals and capabilities. The Provider may also request the SEE and AMEP Client Capability Guidesign-in required (sign-in required) to provide a summary of the assessed Participant's capability level.

• System step — Providers refer Participants to SEE via the Department’s IT Systems as an Activity. For detailed system steps refer to Knowledge Base Article KB0017282 Activities – Adding a Referral to Skills for Education and Employment (SEE).sign-in required (sign-in required)

• System step — Providers book a Pre-Training Assessment for a Participant via the Department’s IT Systems. For detailed system steps refer to Knowledge Base Article KB0017021 - Activities – Adding a Pre-Training Assessment (PTA) booking for a Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) referral.sign-in required (sign-in required)

SEE placement information must be entered in the Activity Managementsign-in required (sign-in required) screen to ensure eligible Participants receive the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Supplement from Services Australia.

Providers should liaise with the SEE Provider regarding the Participant’s assessed capability levels and to establish agreed communication protocols for advice on attendance and progression. The SEE Provider is responsible for exiting the Participant from SEE should they cease to attend training regularly and are not contactable to ascertain a reason. In this instance, the SEE Provider will notify the Provider.

Average participation in SEE is approximately 8 months. SEE clients have 2 years in a single referral period to complete their chosen course(s) or qualification(s). They can continue to access the program, which may involve iterative referrals, until they achieve an exit benchmark, i.e. a Certificate IV in a foundation course or a Certificate III in a VET course. After 2 years in the program, a Participant may again access the program if a new PTA indicates further capacity to benefit.

Education Outcome Payments are available to claim when the Participant completes 26 consecutive weeks of full-time participation in SEE. For Education Outcome Payments, Providers must refer to, and comply with, the requirements specified in the Vacancies and Outcomes Chapter.

Where a Participant already participating in SEE moves to the TtW Provider from another Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider, a different employment service or Workforce Australia Online, the Provider should support and encourage the Participant’s continuation, particularly if they have not yet achieved an exit benchmark. The receiving Provider may be unable to view the existing Activity in the Activity Management screen or Job Plan if it was set up by another referring agency.