What is Learner Support Services?
Learner Support Services (LSS) is an individualised support service that helps students successfully complete their training and transition to employment.
For delivery in South Australia, a compliance condition of your FAA is that you must have a Service Agreement with an LSS Provider. See section 10 of the UAN Guidelines.
Students can be referred (or can self-refer at any time) to an LSS provider for free one-on-one support if they are facing complex personal and learning support needs that are beyond the capacity of the training provider to support on their own.
Supports can be provided for a wide range of issues that students may be facing, including:
- Family issues
- Domestic violence
- Housing and homelessness
- Interactions with the justice system
- Financial stress
- Mental health and other disability issues
- Study skills development
- In-class support needs
- Transitioning into an adult learning environment from school or after not studying for a long time
- Transitioning into work after study (post-course support is available for up to 3 months).
Students who are facing significant barriers to completing their training, who are falling behind or at risk for withdrawing from training are the focus of LSS services.
To be eligible, students must be enrolled in a qualification listed on the STL, including:
- Apprentices and trainees
- School enrolled students undertaking subsidised VET
- Fee for Service students in classes with subsidised students
Students must also:
- have complex support needs that require individualised support beyond the normal supports an NTO is expected to provide, and
- their support needs are impacting on their ability to sustain their participation or complete their qualification.
Supports can be provided through LSS for any issue that may impact on a students’ ability to stay in training and successfully compete their course.
For more information about LSS, students can be referred to the My Training website.
For students to access Learner Support Services, the enrolling NTO must have a Learner Support Services agreement in place with one or more of the six contracted LSS providers.
To enable an LSS Service Agreement, providers must first complete an Organisational Self-Assessment and have this approved by Skills SA. See the Organisational Self-Assessment Template and Guide.
NTOs can access further information about how LSS works, how to contract with LSS and contact details of all LSS Providers here.
Watch these videos for more information
How LSS supports students and RTOs - case studies
Assessing your Student Supports
