Hospitality Scholarship Program

How did the Scholarship Program originate?

In the State Budget 2023-24, the “Backing Victoria’s World-Class Producers to Grow” initiative was announced to bolster Victoria’s food and beverage industry to showcase and promote Victoria’s world-class food and drinks to local and global audiences. The funding of $5 million was announced for the Victorian TAFE Hospitality Scholarships to address shortages of skilled labour in the Victorian hospitality industry in both regional and metropolitan Victoria. The Victorian TAFE Hospitality Scholarships will be delivered by the TAFE network to eligible Victorian TAFE students who complete eligible hospitality courses.

Which courses are eligible?

• Scholarships will be allocated from the eligible hospitality courses, which include:
  • i. Diploma of Hospitality Management*
  • ii. Certificate IV in Kitchen Management*^
  • iii. Certificate IV in Hospitality#
  • iv. Certificate III in Commercial Cookery*^

*Free TAFE course in 2025
# Traineeships
^Apprenticeship

What are the selection criteria?

• Eligible candidates must meet the below base selection criteria:
  • i. Have an intention to enrol and complete the eligible course.
  • ii. Demonstrate ambition and willingness to work or have worked in the hospitality sector.
  • iii. Have not previously received a Victorian TAFE Hospitality Scholarship.
  • iv. Are an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia or hold a permanent Humanitarian visa and have the legal right to work in Australia.
  • v. Provide a written statement (no longer than 400 words) about why they want to work in the hospitality industry and what they hope to achieve through the scholarship program.
• Scholarships offered may be awarded based on merit or equity considerations with additional criteria applying to these scholarship categories as follows:
  • i. Merit – Demonstrated academic excellence via results achieved during previous studies and/or hospitality workplace employee excellence over a significant period of time as indicated by the following:
    • Demonstrated academic excellence via results achieved during previous and current studies (ATAR, Year10/11 or VETis results, other TAFE study results)
    • Demonstrated hospitality workplace excellence (recommendation from employer (no longer than 200 words) outlining how the candidate excels in the Hospitality workplace environment and how the proposed training would benefit the candidate in the workplace
  • ii. Equity – Demonstrated financial and/or educational disadvantage as evidenced by the following:
    • a disadvantaged financial background
    • are from or intending to move from or to a rural or regional area
    • are an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander
    • have a disability, long term medical illness or mental health condition
    • experience difficult circumstances
      (Evidence may include Centrelink documentation, bank statements, wages slips, letter from case worker/medical practitioner or other documentation as relevant to the equity consideration.)
    •  

What will the scholarship funding cover?

• The scholarship is an incentive to support students to undertake and complete their eligible courses and work in the industry in response to the acute shortage of skills in the hospitality sector in Victoria.
• The funding may assist with living expenses, training costs, ancillary or equipment needs, course fees or related expenses, career change or used as financial support while studying or undertaking placements to succeed in their careers while providing a much-needed workforce boost for the hospitality sector.

What is the award amount and payment schedule of scholarships?

• $10,000 per successful applicant.
• Timing of scholarship payment instalments:
  • i. $3,300 following course commencement, after the course census date/or within 11 weeks of course commencement and satisfactory (80%) attendance
  • ii. $3,300 at approximately mid-way point in their course
  • iii. $3,400 upon course completion, statement of attainment and a post-course survey completed

What are the responsibilities of the recipient?

• Student must enrol in and intend to complete one of the eligible courses.
• Students must apply for the scholarship through the centralised application process available on the Lead TAFE website and:
  • i. Meet the established criteria to be eligible for scholarship payment milestones and comply with the scholarship agreement.
  • ii. Provide a valid bank account for the disbursement of scholarship funds.
  • iii. Pay all course charges or fees owing in relation to their studies.
  • iv. Complete the post-course completion survey.
• All applicants (successful and unsuccessful) will receive an outcome.
• Students must ensure that all outstanding or related TAFE charges or fees are paid.

What is the role of a Lead TAFE?

• The Lead TAFE will be responsible for:
  • i. Scholarship program establishment: set up centrally managed administrative processes. Create an application. Set application period. Coordinate relationships with participating TAFEs and leverage industry partners to promote the program.
  • ii. Scholarship program delivery: assess scholarship applications (in conjunction with the local TAFE). Make scholarship payments to successful applicant. Advise scholarship holders should the scholarship be withdrawn due to unsatisfactory attendance/progression.
  • iii. Scholarship program survey: develop post-course completion survey and send to scholars to capture employment outcomes and report back to OTCD.
  • iv. Scholarships reporting: provide quarterly report to the OTCD for oversight, quality assurance and risk management.

What is the role of other TAFEs?

• Assess scholarship applications in conjunction with the lead TAFE.
• Communicate the outcome to the applicant.
• Communication application outcomes to the lead TAFE within the specified timeframes.
• Provide the lead TAFE with required student attendance and progression information within specified timeframes.
• Actively promote the program using channels including website, social media and to leverage industry partners.