Vocational education and training in Schools (VETiS) is funded by Queensland Government. It aligns school-based training with the needs of industry and creates career pathways for secondary students.

Queensland school students can undertake nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET) qualifications while they are still at school. These courses can be taken in Years 10, 11 and 12.

Students can undertake VETiS:

  • as part of their school studies – delivered and resourced by a school that is a registered training organisation (RTO)
  • by enrolling with an external RTO – funded either by VETiS or through fee-for-service arrangements. This is where fees are paid by an individual such as a student or parent, or another entity like a community or industry group
  • as a school-based apprentice or trainee – funded either by the Queensland Government or fee-for-service arrangements.

Skills programs

Queensland Government skills programs for secondary school students include:

Through VETiS, secondary students can access one funded training opportunity at a time. For example, a funded certificate or a funded school-based apprenticeship or traineeship

VETiS updates

Changes are made to the VETiS program to ensure it meets the needs of industry and Queenslanders.
Updates in 2026 include:

  • Career Taster pilots through TAFE Queensland and CQUniversity
  • Certificate I and II qualifications funding for school students
  • Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot) was removed from VETiS and will be delivered through a new $1 million initiative under the Industry Skills Solutions program.

In 2027, there are 2 updates to eligible qualifications to ensure training meets the needs of employers:

  • Certificate I in Construction will be replaced with the Certificate II in Construction Pathways which is preferred by industry as a pre-apprenticeship pathway.
  • Certificate II in Plumbing  will expire in mid-2026, pending advice about an extension to this training product. Students can continue to enrol in Certificate II in Plumbing Services in line with industry demand.

Student eligibility will remain unchanged in 2027.

Consultation will continue with stakeholders, including schools, to inform development of VETiS for 2028 and beyond.

Summary of eligibility for funded training

A student in Year 10, 11 and 12 can undertake a:

  • funded certificate I or II – general training
  • funded school-based apprenticeship or traineeship

Points to note:

  • VETiS students are not supported to undertake more than one DTET-funded qualification at the same time. However, they could do one DTET-funded qualification, a fee-for-service qualification and a qualification delivered by their school concurrently (at the same time), as detailed in the VETiS summary of eligibility table.
  • There is no DTET requirement for a student to do a certificate I or II before they do a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship. Career Tasters will provide an opportunity for students to try a skill area before enrolling in a qualification.

VETiS 2026 summary of eligibility table provides an overview of eligibility requirements for the VETiS 2026 program.

Supporting resources

Related information

Last updated 27 April 2026

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