User Choice (NT)
Government Funding

Published 30 Mar 2020

User Choice (NT)

Claudia Reiners

What is User Choice (NT) Funding?

NT User Choice funding is a government program that provides subsidies for apprenticeships and traineeships. It is a joint funding initiative of the Australian Government and the Northern Territory Government.

The objective of the user choice funding program is to make apprenticeships and traineeships more flexible for employers and workers. In terms of the economy, it is designed to make the vocational education and training sector funding fit to the needs of industry, and create a competitive workforce to make the most of job opportunities as the NT experiences strong economic growth.

What does the User Choice (NT) program offer?

In the user choice program, you and your employer can choose your qualification, and choose which pre-approved training provider best suits your needs. Additionally, you’re able to negotiate key aspects of the training, such as when, where and how your training and assessment will take place.

This policy is nation-wide, but funding varies by state. In Darwin and the NT, the NT government pays the subsidy directly to the approved provider for training and assessment services.

Am I eligible for User Choice (NT) funding?

You may qualify for the User Choice (NT) program if:

You work in the NT
You are 15 years of age or older
You are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand passport holder residing in Australia for over 6 months, or you hold an eligible visa
You are in paid employment
Each week, you complete more than 15 hours of work or training (if your training contract is not through a school, average out your hours over 4 weeks)
You undertake a qualification on the NT Apprenticeships and Traineeships Database through an Australian Apprenticeship, with an approved RTO
Your employer is able to provide the necessary supervision in the workplace

If you are employed, you will fall into one of these categories:

New Worker
You work full-time, and you have been in your job for less than 3 months, or you’re part-time for less than 12 months.
Existing Worker
You work full-time, and you’ve been in your job for more than 3 months, or you’ve been there part-time for more than 12 months (applies to both permanent or casual).

Existing workers are not eligible to take on a traineeship with user choice funded training – only apprenticeships. There are some exceptions to this:

If you’ve been working while at school, and you’re now transitioning to a traineeship with the same employer
If you’re taking on a traineeship in a skills shortage area, which you can find listed on the NT Skilled Occupation Priority List
It’s been less that 12 months after you’ve completed a previous apprenticeship or traineeship, and you’re going on to complete the a higher level qualification in the same training package, for example a Certificate II to a Certificate III, or Certificate IV to Diploma.
If you are Aboriginal.

What courses am I eligible for?

You can take anything from a Certificate II in Automotive Servicing Technology, or a Certificate III in Business Administration, to a Diploma of Alcohol and Other Drugs – there’s a broad range of funded qualifications available.

The full list can be viewed and searched on the NT Apprenticeships and Traineeships Database.

How can I apply for the User Choice (NT) funding program?

Get a job
Get a job with an employer who can give you a suitable level of structure and supervision for an apprenticeship or traineeship
Choose a funded qualification
Choose a funded qualification from the NT Apprenticeships and Traineeships Database. ACT Australian Apprenticeships (User Choice) Qualification Subsidy Amount List.
Find an AASN provider
Find an Australian Apprenticeships Support Network provider, to assist you in finding a Registered Training Organisation. Search for AASN providers