Adult Community Education program
To be eligible to apply for an ACE project, community-based organisations must:
- hold a current Funded Activities Agreement (FAA) with Skills SA
- be compliant with the delivery and reporting of the ACE UAN process
- conduct and deliver the project during the 2022 to 2025 financial years
- agree to report, document delivery models and provide relevant skills and workforce information to Skills SA.
In June 2020, ACE providers with existing contracts with the department were transitioned to an FAA for the 2020 to 2021 financial year. For any new community-based providers, their ACE project application will also form an application for an FAA, and they will be considered concurrently for both the ACE project and the FAA.
ACE providers can apply for a Level 1 and/or a Level 2 project.
- Level 1 is focused on the traditional non-accredited foundation skills training.
- Level 1 and level 2 projects are built on the Foundation Skills Training Package units of competencies. This ensures that we maintain the existing quality framework and structures for both levels, but importantly for non-accredited and accredited foundation skills training.
Skills SA will also consider consortium project applications from ACE providers that consolidates local partnership opportunities that respond to ACE projects.
The key elements of a level 1 project are:
- delivered by community-based organisations, in a community setting
- built from the existing list of Foundation Skills (FSK) training package units as a framework for activities that improve language literacy, numeracy and digital literacy capabilities
- non-accredited skills development using the FSK training package
- for jobseekers to acquire the skills and resilience they need to transition to vocational training or employment
- for existing workers seeking to improve their foundation skills non-institutionally
- delivered in a community setting.
The key elements of a level 2 project are:
- foundation skills activity based around a vocational pathway
- accredited training delivered by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) with applicable courses on its scope, and not delivered through auspice arrangements
- able to demonstrate connections with industry or an employer
- a combination of accredited and non-accredited course activity
- accredited activity that includes units from vocational courses relevant for the context and delivered by an RTO with courses on its scope (not using auspicing arrangements)
- activities that connect to other State Government or Australian Government initiatives
- delivered in either a community or institutional setting or workplace (or combination).
Eligible organisations can apply for both level 1 and level 2 projects. They will be assessed separately based on the criteria associated with each project level.
Auspicing arrangements will not be supported for ACE projects. If your project intends to deliver accredited training the community-based organisation must partner with an RTO and submit an application for a level 2 project. The RTO will maintain responsibility for the delivery of accredited training to students.
It is important that the foundation skills delivery purchased by Skills SA in community-based and non-institutional setting strengthens collaboration between community education providers, the vocational education and training (VET) system and employers. Partnerships have been critical to the delivery of ACE in the past, and there will be an increased expectation to work with local partners to support participants and strengthen ACE projects. We know that partnerships and networks take time to develop, and your organisation may initially need to build on a small network.
No, the application will allow you to identify all regions you are seeking to deliver your project.
Applicants will be notified of the assessment outcome within 4 weeks from lodgement. This timeframe is a guide only and may be subject to change if further information is required from the applicant to complete the assessment.
Projects must be delivered, resulted and reported on by 30 June in the year of funding, or by 30 June 2025 for projects delivered over multiple years.
Training must be fully delivered within the contractual timeframe. Commencement of training must occur after execution of the FAA for the approved project, and before the no new student enrolment date. The no new enrolment date is 3 weeks prior to the last training completion date, or 26 May in the year of completion. The no new student enrolment date should be carefully considered when applying.
Funding can be sought for varying project durations ranging from a 6 month project up to a tri- annual project that is delivered over three years.
ACE projects assist people who are in one or more of the following categories:
- aged 17 years or over and not enrolled in school
- early school leavers with or without non-school qualifications
- an Australian resident, or if not an Australian resident, have an eligible visa (please visit the Training Provider Centre's student eligibility tool)
- participants transitioning from other South Australian Government funded initiatives, or
- existing employees needing to upskill their foundation skills
- identifying as Aboriginal, young people under 25 years, mature age (45 years and over), from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, people with disability, women returning to work or women seeking to enter non-traditional occupations.
The ACE UAN applies to all ACE projects. Training providers and community-based organisations must be compliant with this contractual obligation.
All participants must undertake the ACE UAN by using the Basic Skills Indicator (BSI) that has been specifically designed for the ACE sector. The BSI is an online tool with questions to understand a student’s reading and numeracy skill level. This is unique to the ACE sector and must be undertaken at commencement and completion of training, so a student’s progress is understood and demonstrable.
ACE project participants are required to undertake the ACE Upfront Assessment of Need (ACE UAN) prior to commencement and at completion of any training using the BSI online tool. This process allows ACE providers to identify a participant’s suitability to enrol in the course and identify additional supports that may assist them to complete the training. On completion is helps to demonstrate measurable improvements in foundation skills to report on their pathway outcome.
Where a participant exits an ACE project prior to the completion of the training, for a reason other than that of a reportable pathway outcome (that is, enrolment in a VET course, a VET course completion, employment or self-employment), and the participant is unable to undertake the exit ACE UAN, it is possible to still report a pathway outcome for the participant.
In instances where a participant has undertaken a large component of the training but not completed the exit ACE UAN, the outcome of ‘demonstrated improvement in foundation skills’ can be reported for the participant if the tutor has documented evidence and notes of an observed improvement in the participant’s foundation skills during the project. Tutor observations can be entered into the notes section of the BSI tool. All documented tutor evidence to support this reported outcome must be provided to Skills SA when requested.
Further information on the ACE UAN is available on the Skills SA website in the Adult Community Education toolkit at: Training Provider Centre | Toolkit (skills.sa.gov.au)
Skills SA has also established ACE UAN mentors to support providers to implement this process. The mentors have been involved in the development of the ACE UAN model and will be able to assist with understanding the requirements of the ACE UAN and training in using the Basic Skills Indicator platform. All ACE Providers will be required to contact a mentor to access the online platform.
The ACE UAN Mentors are:
Zoe Gow: 0432 487 611 or pfccfoundationskills@gmail.com
Colly Lesker: 0431 644 963 or colly@eastwood.asn.au
Paul Malloy: 0425 533 174 or paul.malloy@wiseemployment.com.au
No. Information only needs to be entered in the Skills and Employment Portal for level 2 ACE projects, and this will be done by the selected RTO delivering the accredited training. The RTO will create a profile for each participant on the Skills and Employment Portal as part of their regular reporting process for the delivery of accredited training.
Yes, participants can enrol in more than one ACE project and be reported in every ACE course they undertake in that financial year. Previously participants could only be reported in a second project if they were going from a level 1 project to a level 2 project. This has now changed, recognising that more than one level 1 project may be required for some participants to improve their foundation skills.
Where a student is wanting to repeat a level 1 non-accredited training project, and has successfully completed the training, they will not be permitted to enrol in that unit of competency again. The student can enrol in a level 1 project that has a different unit of competency to the one they have successfully completed. A student must achieve one of the reportable pathway outcomes, including demonstrating any measurable improvement in foundation skills through the BSI.
Where a student is wanting to repeat a level 2 accredited training project, and has successfully completed the accredited training, they will not be permitted to enrol in that unit of competency again. The student can enrol in a level 2 project that has a different unit of competency to the one they have successfully completed.
Should a student want to re-enrol in a level 2 accredited training project where their previous result for the accredited unit of competency was Competency not Achieved/Fail, they can undertake a further three attempts to successfully complete the accredited unit of competency. Please refer to Clause 10. Funding for Accredited Training in the Funded Activities Agreement for further details.
You can partner with TAFE SA for the delivery of accredited training. The ACE project application must include a letter from the authorised TAFE SA delegate that acknowledges the partnership, the scope of the project and that these activities will be funded through TAFE SA’s existing funding arrangements.
Funding criteria has moved from a fixed grant allocation to a request for funding based on the training activity to be delivered, and the costs to manage the project, including the administration and supports for participants. Project activities (non-accredited) and training activities (accredited) will continue to be funded separately.
The ACE project application must reflect the cost of delivering the project in each financial year. If you are applying for a tri-annual funding arrangement, you will be asked to update the costs and training schedule prior to commencement of the subsequent year.
For example, if you are applying for a tri-annual ACE project where the training will be repeated in years 2 and 3, the 2022 to 2023 application is to reflect the cost of project activities and delivery of non-accredited training in 2022 to 2023. Prior to commencement of year 2 you will be asked to provide an updated training schedule and project costs on the budget template. This provides you with an opportunity to incorporate learnings and insights gained from each year to contribute to better outcomes for participants, whilst also acknowledging the challenges of estimating costs and training schedules in future years.
(i) Training Funds
For accredited training you will be required to identify each unit of competency and qualification codes in your application. Skills SA will calculate the cost to deliver those units using the subsidy calculator rates on our website. You will be required to work with your RTO to identify the units of competency to be delivered in your project prior to applying.
For non-accredited training you will be required to outline the foundation skills (FSK) training package units of competency that will be used as the quality framework for your training. Skills SA will calculate the cost of the non-accredited training delivery based on the existing project subsidy rate for non-accredited training (up to $12 per hour per participant).
(ii) Project Activity Funds
The budget that you submit in the application will include the cost of delivering project components that are separate from the training delivery. There is no cap for project activity funding, allowing applicants to deliver more responsive and flexible projects that meet participant needs. Project activity funds will be assessed on value for money and appropriateness to project design.
(i) Training Funds
Accredited training funds are paid directly to your RTO partner through their FAA and claimed through the Skills and Employment Portal.
Non-accredited project activity funds will be paid directly to the ACE provider through their FAA.
(ii) Project Activity Funds
Project activity funds will be paid as milestones and negotiated with the ACE provider at contract development stage. The first payment will be made on contract execution followed by payments based on the agreed milestones as set out in the relevant Funded Activities Annexure.
- implementing the ACE UAN for community education
- developing student-centred transition plans
- coordinating activities to attract, select, retain, and support project participants
- coordinating and delivering project elements, excluding the delivery of training identified in the project
- liaising with participants, employers, industry, and other project partners
- coordinating and supporting industry visits and information sessions, and preparing participants for work opportunities and selecting vocational pathways
- working with employers to engage and upskill existing workers
- additional goods such as personal protective equipment for participants
- workplace mentoring to support retention of participants
- provision of student support services
- travel related expenses for learners to access face to face services out of the workplace or across training sites.
- project activity undertaken prior to the contract being executed
- student course fee contributions
- activities that duplicate or are already funded through existing State Government or Australian Government services, supports or initiatives
- community education led projects that do not partner with RTOs to deliver accredited training
- preparation of project applications
- purchasing assets or capital expenditure, for example information technology equipment, systems or applications, buildings or vehicles
- wage subsidies for participants
- school enrolled students.
Foundation skills delivery, purchased by Skills SA in community-based and non-institutional settings, should enhance collaboration between community education providers, the VET system and employers.
Project participants will be expected to achieve any of the following outcomes:
- demonstrated improvement in participant foundation skills
- transition from a level 1 to a level 2 project
- enrolment in a VET course
- VET course completion
- employment or self-employment
- transition to higher education
- transition to other project initiatives.