Build and keep a skilled team with nationally recognised traineeships in aged care, childcare, business, hospitality and retail — fee-free for eligible trainees under the NSW Government’s Smart and Skilled program. NCVE (RTO 90283) trains your new and recently-hired staff on the job, right across New South Wales. Call 1800 180 881 to talk about your team.
Traineeships let you build skilled, qualified, loyal staff — at little or no cost to your business.
Smart and Skilled covers the course fees for eligible trainees — qualify your team without a training bill.
Access hiring incentives on eligible qualifications, plus a NSW payroll tax rebate on new-entrant trainee wages.
Investing in staff qualifications lifts engagement and retention — and cuts the cost of turnover.
Turn new and recently-hired staff into qualified, job-ready team members through a funded new-entrant traineeship.
NCVE handles the training, assessment and paperwork — delivered around your workplace and roster.
Delivered in every NSW region, so all your sites and staff can take part.
The fastest-growing sector in NSW — and the two qualifications that also attract the employer Priority Hiring Incentive.
Develop your office, sales and leadership teams — ideal for qualifying supervisors, coordinators and new starters.
Train front-of-house and operations staff for cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs and venues.
Qualify your retail team, from new team members through to experienced sales staff.
Between fully-funded training and government incentives, a traineeship can cost your business very little — while adding a qualified team member.
Smart and Skilled covers the course fees for eligible trainees commencing before 30 June 2027 — across all ten qualifications.
For the aged care and childcare qualifications (on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List), eligible employers can access up to $2,500 per eligible trainee — paid in instalments; part-time at 50%.
If your business pays NSW payroll tax, wages paid to new-entrant trainees may qualify for a payroll tax rebate.
Tell us about your business and the staff you’d like to train. We’ll map out the qualifications, funding and incentives that fit.
You and your trainee sign a NSW training contract through an Apprenticeship Network provider — we’ll guide you through it.
Your trainee learns around their shifts with flexible study and a named NCVE trainer, plus on-the-job assessment — with minimal disruption to your business.
Your team completes their nationally recognised qualification — stronger, qualified and ready to grow with you.
The right training provider is the difference between a trainee who finishes job-ready and one who drops out. Here’s what sets us apart.
Every trainee gets a named, industry-experienced trainer who knows them, tracks their progress and picks up the phone — no AI-marked assessments or pre-recorded videos.
NCVE (RTO 90283) has delivered nationally recognised qualifications for over 25 years, specialising in care, business, hospitality and retail.
We support every trainee to finish — including those who need extra help — so more of your team complete and stay.
Trainees learn around their shifts, from anywhere in NSW, with direct access to their trainer — flexibility without the isolation of “online only”.
We’re a family business that thinks in decades — we invest in people and relationships, not quick wins.
Fast enrolment, live progress tracking and clear communication — we handle the funding, contracts and paperwork so you don’t have to.
Any NSW employer can offer these traineeships to eligible staff — whether you’re a single site or a multi-site operation across care, business, hospitality or retail. Your trainee generally needs to be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible visa holder, living or working in NSW, and employed by you as a trainee under a training contract. Not sure which qualifications fit your team, or how much your business could save? That’s exactly what our team is here to work out with you.
Book a quick workforce chat with NCVE. We’ll check your eligibility, explain the funding and incentives, and set up traineeships for your staff — the easy way.
Are all the qualifications really fee-free?
Yes — all ten are Smart and Skilled funded traineeship qualifications, so the training is fee-free for eligible trainees whose training commences before 30 June 2027. There’s no course fee to your business.
What does it cost my business?
You pay your trainee’s wages as their employer; the training itself is funded. Eligible employers can offset wage costs with a NSW payroll tax rebate on new-entrant trainee wages, and for the care qualifications, the Priority Hiring Incentive.
Which qualifications get the hiring incentive?
The two care qualifications — Certificate III in Individual Support and Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care — are on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, so they attract the Priority Hiring Incentive. The business, hospitality and retail qualifications are fee-free but generally don’t attract that particular incentive. We’ll confirm what applies to your situation.
Can I train existing staff, or only new hires?
In NSW, Smart and Skilled funds new-entrant traineeships — new or recently-hired staff (generally employed less than 3 months full-time, or 12 months part-time/casual, when the training contract starts). Longer-serving existing staff aren’t eligible for a funded traineeship in NSW (that’s a fee-for-service arrangement). Tell us about your team and we’ll confirm exactly who qualifies.
How much of my staff member’s time does it take?
Most of the training happens on the job. NCVE delivers structured learning and assessment around your roster to keep disruption to a minimum.
Where is training delivered?
Your trainee combines on-the-job work with flexible study supported by a named NCVE trainer — from anywhere in NSW, metropolitan, regional or rural — plus workplace-based assessment.
How do we get started?
Call 1800 180 881 or email enrolment@ncve.edu.au. Tell us about your team and we’ll handle the funding, contracts and training.
You know where you're headed. We're here to help you get there. Let's begin.
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