Vocational Education and Training (VET) Outbound Mobility Program

Guidelines

2015 Round

Closing date for applications:16 June 2014

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Content

Vocational Education and Training (VET) Outbound Mobility Program

Definitions

1Overview

1.1Vocational Education and Training Outbound Mobility Program

1.1.1Funding Availability

1.2VET Outbound Mobility Project Establishment Support Funding

1.3Key Dates

2Eligibility

2.1Eligible Institutions

2.2Eligible Projects

2.3Eligible Students

2.3.1Equal Opportunity

2.4Eligible Destinations

2.4.1Travel Warnings

2.4.2Critical Incidents

3Funding

3.1Funding Available

3.2Student Grants

3.3Project Facilitation Subsidies

4Application Process

4.1Timeline

4.2International Student Exchange Online

4.2.1Registration of Eligible Institutions

4.3Information Required

4.4Maximum Number of Applications

4.5Maximum Number of Student Grants per Application

4.6Ranking of Applications

4.7Lodgement of Applications

4.8Allocation of Funding

4.9Selection Criteria

4.10Assessment Process

5Funding Arrangements

5.1Funding Framework

5.1.1Deed of Standing Offer

5.1.2Project Schedule (the Contract)

5.2Project Variation to Project Schedule

5.3Payment of Funding

5.4Publication of Funded Projects

5.5Repayment of Funding

6Funding Acquittal Requirements

6.1Completion Report

6.2Evaluation Report

6.3Statutory Declaration

7VET Outbound Mobility Project Establishment Support Funding

7.1Funding

7.2Funding Framework

7.3Application Process

7.4Allocation of Funding

7.5Timeline

7.6Funding Acquittal Requirements

7.7Repayment of Funding

8Additional information

8.1Acknowledgement of Australian Government Funding

8.2Privacy

8.3Complaints Handling

8.4Disclosure of information in the application

8.5Commonwealth Ombudsman

8.6Offence to Provide False or Misleading Information

8.7Conflict of Interest

8.8Taxation

8.9Contact

Definitions

Acronyms and terms used throughout the Guidelines are listed below.

Academic Credit / For the purpose of these Guidelines, credit will be defined as either a full unit of study or a major assessment piece related to the student’s course of study.
Applicant Institution / The Australian Registered Training Organisation that is applying for funding.
Completion Date / The date by which all reporting activities for the Project must be completed.
Deed of Standing Offer(DoSO) / An agreement between the Commonwealth and an eligible education provider detailing the terms and conditions under which funding may be provided.
Department / The Australian Government Department of Education, also referred to as ‘the Department’.
Home Institution / The Australian Registered Training Organisation in which the student is enrolled.
ILO / International Liaison Officer. The Department’s point of contact at the Applicant institution.
ISEO / International Student Exchange Online. The Department’s onlinesystem for student mobility program management.
Program / VET Outbound Mobility Program
Project / Each approved application for funding submitted by an institution will be referred to as a ‘Project’.
Project Establishment Funding / VET Outbound Mobility Project Establishment Support Funding
Project FacilitationSubsidy / A $1500 subsidy allocated to eligible institutions in acknowledgement of the administrative costs of the Applicant Institution in managing the approved Project.
Project Schedule / The Project Schedule or ‘schedule to the Deed of Standing Offer’ is an executed funding contract detailing the specifics of each Project for which the Department provides funding support.
Project Variation / A Project Variation is a request from the institution to change particulars of the original Project.
RTO / Australian Registered Training Organisation. All Australian public and private RTOs are eligible to apply for funding.
Student Grant / A $2000 grant allocated to eligible institutionsfor distribution to students for participating in the Project.
Student Mobility Team / The Student Mobility Team can be contacted via email at
VET / Vocational Education and Training
VET Outbound / Vocational Education and Training Outbound Mobility Program

1Overview

The Australian Government is committed to providing support for more Australians students to have an international study experience. The Government provides support for vocational education and training (VET) students through the following mobility programs:

  • Vocational Education and Training Outbound Mobility Program (VET Outbound)
  • AsiaBound Grants Program (AsiaBound).

The purpose of these Guidelinesis to outline the administrative arrangements for the 2015 round of VET Outbound. These Guidelines are for Applicant Institutions and it is recommended that institutions read the Guidelines, in conjunction with the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), before applying for funding under VET Outbound. FAQs are available on ISEO (

Separate guidelines for AsiaBound are available on the AEI website here.

1.1Vocational Education and Training Outbound Mobility Program

The Vocational Education and Training Outbound Mobility Program (VET Outbound) provides support for VET students to undertake international short-term (less than six months) study experiences that relate to a student’s course or field of study.Eligible public and private RTOs may apply for funding to support the participation of outgoing Australian students to undertake mobility experiences globally. Further information about eligible destinations are in Section 2.4 of these Guidelines

The aims of VET Outbound are to:

  • increase the overall number of VET students with an international mobility experience related to their field of study
  • increase the employability and training outcomes of VET students through an international study experience
  • assist institutions that are seeking to diversify their programs to include innovative options, minority groups and/or non-traditional destinations
  • increase collaboration between Australian VET institutions and participating institutions or institutions overseas.

1.1.1Funding Availability

The following funding is available for the 2015 round of VET Outbound:

  • approximately 350 Student Grants at $2000 each
  • Project Facilitation Subsidies at a rate of $1500 per Project for eligible Projects of between one and ten students (where applied for and approved).

In the event VET Outbound is undersubscribed, it will be at the discretion of the Department to allocate funding to other student mobility programs, namely STMP and ISEP.

1.2VET Outbound Mobility Project Establishment Support Funding

The Australian Government recognises that outbound mobility in the VET sector in Australia is invarying stages of development. Institutions that can demonstrate a genuine need for assistance in overcoming barriers to establishing outbound mobility programs, may apply for VET Project Establishment Support Funding (Project Establishment Funding). Refer to section 7 of these Guidelines for further information.

To support Australian training providers in establishing, promoting and managing their mobility programs, the Department, in collaboration with key stakeholders within the sector, has developed the VET Sector Outbound Mobility Toolkit.The toolkit brings together a range of resources including example itineraries, risk management strategies, budget and funding advice, checklists and templates.

/ The VET Outbound Mobility Toolkit is located at

1.3Key Dates

The following key dates must be adhered to by Applicant Institutions seeking to apply for funding under the 2015 round of VET Outbound or Project Establishment Funding:

2015 VET Outbound Mobility Program
17 April 2014 / Applications open
16 June 2014 (11.59pm AEST) / Applications close
July 2014 / Institutions notified ofoutcomes of applications for VET Outbound Projects and Project Establishment Funding
1 September 2014 / ProjectSchedule and Invoicesubmissiondeadline
31 July 2015 / Completion and Project acquittal reports due
31 October 2015 / Completion and Project acquittal reports due for Project Establishment Funding

2Eligibility

2.1Eligible Institutions

All Australian public and privateRegistered Training Organisations (RTOs) are eligible to apply for funding under VET Outbound. While institutions may propose in their application to partner with other Australian institutions such as sector peak bodies, government agencies or not-for-profit institutions (such as Industry Skills Councils), only RTOsare eligible to apply for funding.

2.2Eligible Projects

Funding will be provided to successful ApplicantInstitutions to subsidise Australian students to participate in the following international experiences that directly relate to the students’ course or field of study:

  • short-term study experiences
  • research experiences
  • short courses
  • paid or unpaid internships or work placements
  • practicum or clinical placements
  • volunteer projects.

Projects must be no longer than six months in duration and the activities undertaken by students participating in this Project must be for some form of Academic Credit at the students’ Home Institution.

2.3Eligible Students

Participating students must be citizens or permanent residents of Australia and be enrolled at the Applicant Institutionin a course leading to the award of:

  • Certificate IV
  • Diploma
  • Advanced Diploma
  • Graduate Certificate
  • Graduate Diploma.

International students studying in Australia are ineligible for funding but may participate in Projects funded under VET Outbound.

/ A student may receive only one VETOutbound grant under (current or past) VETOutbound Projects.

2.3.1Equal Opportunity

All Project applications should include strategies to support the participation and success of students from disadvantaged[1] or low socio-economic backgrounds[2] as potential participants in mobility projects, including the provision of support services to members of these groups in an appropriate and culturally sensitive manner.

2.4Eligible Destinations

Funding under VET Outbound may be used to support students to study across the world.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC), 2011 version 2.2 - Table 1.3 can be found at

The SACC provides Applicant Institutions with a list of destinations that may be supported under VET Outbound. This list will be included in ISEO as part of the application process.

2.4.1Travel Warnings

Funding must not be used for travel to destinations that are assessed by DFAT as an area to which Australians are advised not to travel (Level 4 –Do not travel). Projects that include travel to a host country or part of a country that has been assessed by DFAT as Level 4 will not be approved for funding.

In the case that a destination is upgraded to Level 4 status subsequent to funding approval, it is the responsibility of the Applicant Institution to either seek an alternate destination (and comply with section 5.2 by obtaining written approval from the Department to vary the Project) or refund the funding to the Department.

/ Visit Smartraveller ( current information about countries that are considered a travel risk.

2.4.2Critical Incidents

There may be circumstances, such as natural disasters, serious incidents or political disturbances where it is important that the Department is provided with details of the status of any funded Projects and the welfare of participating students.

If contacted by a member of the Student Mobility Team seeking any such details, it is a requirement of this funding that the institution provides the requested information in an appropriate and timely manner.

All institutions should have a critical incident plan (or similar) in place for the Project for which they are applying. Critical incident plans should include emergency contact names, reporting requirements and details of how critical incidents will be handled should they arise. More information and examples of critical incident plans can be found in the Outbound Mobility Best Practice Guideat

3Funding

3.1Funding Available

Two types of funding are available under VET Outbound:

  • Student Grants at $2000 per student
  • Project Facilitation Subsidies at $1500 per Project.

3.2Student Grants

Provided at a rate of $2000 per student,these grantsmay only be used to support outgoing Australian students participating in an approved VET Outbound Project and contribute towards the costs associated with participating in the approved Project.

/ Student Grantscannot be divided and must be provided as a full $2000 grant per student.

3.3Project Facilitation Subsidies

Provided at a rate of $1500, this subsidy is a non-acquittable payment that acknowledges costs incurred by an institutionsuch as:

  • arranging details of the VETOutbound Project
  • evaluating or monitoring students’ progress and for supervision or assessment during the overseas experience
  • engaging the services of third party organisations which have the relevant expertise to support students who may be entering new or challenging environments.

The Project FacilitationSubsidy applies on the basis of one per Project and only where at least one Student Grant is awarded and at least one student has participated in the Project.

4Application Process

4.1Timeline

Please refer to section 1.3 of the Guidelines for the key dates for the submission of applications.

4.2International Student Exchange Online

International Student Exchange Online (ISEO) is the Department’s online application and project management system. This is where registered nominees (International Liaison Officer or ILO) at an RTOwill apply for VET Outbound funding, accept or decline funding offers, download Project Schedules, enter student details and acquit their Projects.

4.2.1Registration of Eligible Institutions

An Applicant Institution must be registered online via ISEO prior to lodging a VET Outbound application.

The procedures for lodging applications are provided in the ISEO User Guide which is available from the ISEO home page at

/ Only institutions’ nominated officers (ILO) may submit an application through ISEO. If your institution does not have ISEO access, please contact the Student Mobility Team.

4.3Information Required

Applicant Institutions will be required to enter the following information into ISEO for each Project application:

  • country/ies where the Project is proposed to be undertaken
  • number of Student Grants for outgoing Australian students sought
  • whether a Project Facilitation Subsidy is sought
  • a ranking for the Project against other Projects applied for
  • a series of declarations to conform with the Guidelines and Project.

4.4Maximum Number of Applications

There is no maximum number of Project applications that an Applicant Institution can submit.

If an institution has a Project that it believes may become over-subscribed by students it may submit two or more identical Project applications. ISEO will automatically create a unique Project name and identifying name for each application.

4.5Maximum Number of Student Grants per Application

The maximum number of funded Australian outgoing students per Project is 10.

International students may participate in the Project but are not eligible to receive VET Outbound funding. Additional Australian students may participate in the same funded Project but the total number of funded students must not exceed 10.

4.6Ranking of Applications

When applying for the 2015 round, institutions will be required to rank their applications. The purpose of this ranking system is to assist the Department with the allocation of funds based on the Project’s strategic value to the institution in line with the Government’s objectives for VET Outbound.

4.7Lodgement of Applications

Applications should be lodged electronically via ISEO, by 11.59pm AEST 16 June 2014.

Any applications received on ISEO after the closing date will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered for funding.

/ Applications not lodged by 11.59pm AEST 16 June 2014 will not be considered for funding.

4.8Allocation of Funding

All applications will be assessed by the Department to determine whether or not they are eligible for funding. Priority will be given to Projects that clearly satisfy the selection criteria and that are ranked highly by institutions. This process will continue until either all eligible Projects have been funded or no funding remains.

4.9Selection Criteria

All Applicant Institutions are required to respond to the following selection criteria:

  • the strategic focus of the Project and how it supports the international mobility strategies and sustainability measures of the Applicant Institution
  • the desired outcomes of the Project having regard to the aims of VET Outbound
  • the relevance of the Project to the participating students’ field or course of study
  • the level of support strategies and services provided to students to facilitate their pastoral care and learning outcomes while they are overseas, which may include details such as critical incident plans and insurances for the Project
  • measures that ensure participation in the Project by individuals from identified disadvantaged groups (see section 2.3.1).

4.10Assessment Process

VET Outbound has a three-phased selection process:

  1. All applications will be assessed by the Department to determine whether the Project is eligible for funding.
  2. All eligible applications are then considered on merit, that is, assessed by a selection panel against the selection criteria and rated as either ‘suitable’ or ‘not suitable’.
  3. Applications rated as ‘suitable’ are then reviewed against the institution’s Project ranking. Funding will be allocated to the highest ranked ‘suitable’ Projects.

The Branch Manager, Mobility, South and South East Asia Branch, International Group, Australian Department of Education, will make final determinations on grants with due regard to the selection panel’s recommendations.

/ The VET Outbound selection panel will comprise officers within the Department with commensurate skills and experience to assess Project applications. Departmental officers are required to complete an Employee Declaration Statement to cover issues associated with Conflict of Interest.
/ Institutions that have any overdue VET Outbound projects from previous rounds may not be considered for funding in the 2015 round. This is at the discretion of the Department.

5Funding Arrangements

5.1Funding Framework

Applicant Institutions successful in their application for funding will be required to enter into a funding agreement, namely a Deed of Standing Offer (DoSO) and a Project Schedule for each funded Project. The funding agreement will contain an obligation that the funding recipient must comply with these published Guidelines, which may be amended by the Department from time to time. To the extent of any inconsistency between the funding agreement and the Guidelines, the funding agreement will prevail.

The legal framework for provision of funding is based on the following two documents:

  • Deed of Standing Offer(DoSO)
  • Project Schedule (the contract).

5.1.1Deed of Standing Offer

Institutions are required to sign an overarching agreement with the Commonwealth through the Department, prior to any offer of funding being made. The agreement details the terms and conditions under which funding may be provided under any of the student mobilityprograms.

/ If theinstitution does not have an executed Deed of Standing Offer with the Department, please emailthe Student Mobility Team. No offer of funding can be made without an executed DoSO.

5.1.2Project Schedule (the Contract)

Institutions successful in their applications will receive offers of funding electronically via ISEO in the form of a Project Scheduleto the Deed of Standing Offer (one Project Schedule per Project will be created). A copy of each Project Schedule must be signed by the appropriate delegate at the Institution and countersigned by the appropriate departmental delegate.

/ Any Project funding regardless of any offer having being made may, at the discretion of the Department, be deemed void and thereby revoked, if the required Project Schedule and invoice is not received by the designated date specified by the Department.

5.2Project Variation to Project Schedule