Adult & Community Education (ACE) Program

Adult and Community Education (ACE) programs offer educational opportunities for adults in subjects like literacy, numeracy, vocational skills, and personal development. These programs are designed to help adults enhance their job prospects, acquire new skills, or pursue personal interests.

The ACE program aims to improve access to training and enhance vocational education and training outcomes for individuals facing significant barriers to employment. It focuses on disadvantaged students and those in regional and remote communities in New South Wales (NSW).

SGSCC is a provider of the ACE Program, helping disadvantaged students and vulnerable members of the NSW community to acquire skills that enable them to fully engage in community life, pursue lifelong learning, find and maintain employment, and contribute to the economic development of NSW.

ACE offers valuable support:

• Gain initial employment
• Re-enter the workforce
• Develop new skills and enhance existing ones
• Increase confidence while seeking work or educational opportunities

ACE Funded Courses:

The ACE Program is free for eligible participants who wish to improve their written or spoken communication skills for the workplace and everyday life. The course covers:

• Reading & Writing
• Speaking & Listening
• Pronunciation
• Employability & job-seeking skills
• Basic computer skills
• Digital literacy

Program delivery:

• Face to Face – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
• Hurstville Centre Level 6, 12-14 Ormonde Parade, Hurstville

Eligibility for the program:

To be eligible you must be:

• 15 years of age or older
• no longer at school
• living or working in NSW
• an Australian OR New Zealand Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident OR a Humanitarian Visa Holder, OR a Partner Visa Holder whose sponsor is a current or past Humanitarian Visa Holder; AND

Meet one or more of the following:

• Identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
• Receive an applicable Commonwealth benefit or is a dependent child, spouse, or partner of a recipient of an applicable benefit
• Live with a disability or is the dependent child, spouse or partner of a person with a disability
• Experiencing barriers due to low language, literacy, numeracy and digital skills
• Identify as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and meet one or more of the eligible criteria
• Unemployed or underemployed (working less than 25 hours per week)
• Returning to the workforce after a gap of 12 months
• Looking to upskill or reskill and aged 55 or older or experiencing barriers due to unforeseen circumstances
• Experiencing hardship or barriers to education due to personal circumstances
• Aged between 15-24 with barriers to education and employment
• Have not completed year 12 or equivalent
• Living in regional and remote communities

Does not meet any of the above criteria AND is either:

• Owner of a small business*; OR
• Employee of a small business or not-for-profit organization

(*) A small business is an enterprise with; less than 20 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees; or, less than 200 FTE employees if the enterprise’s primary operations is in a Regional or Remote Location.

Enrolment

To unlock your opportunities, take the first step and arrange a time to meet with us to complete the application which will include the following:

1. Your student information

2. A valid Unique Student Identification (USI) number.

3. Evidence of your eligibility

4. Consents and declarations

Fees

You can attend the course for free if you meet the eligibility requirements. The NSW Government provides subsidies for this course as part of the Smart and Skilled training reform.

Credit Transfer/Recognition of Prior Learning

SGSCC acknowledges the learning outcomes you have attained through your prior formal training and education. The college can help with Credit Transfer (CT) and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). If you want to apply for Credit Transfer, you will need to submit original or certified copies of certificates and academic transcripts that you obtained from other educational institutions. Credit Transfer may shorten the time you need to complete the qualification.

RPL is your pathway to receiving credit for your previous and current informal education, training, work experience, life experience, and knowledge. Your skills and evidence will be evaluated against industry standards, saving you time and helping you fast-track your qualification.

Don't miss out – indicate your interest in RPL as soon as possible after enrolling and completing the orientation. We are here to support you every step of the way and will be delighted to provide you with an RPL kit after discussing your individual needs. Let's make your experience count.

Student Support Services:

At SGSCC, we are wholeheartedly committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where every single student feels valued, respected, and uplifted. Our priority is to understand and cater to the unique learning requirements of each individual, ensuring that no student's needs go unaddressed. From the moment a student joins us, we actively encourage them to openly communicate their learning needs and aspirations, as we believe that their input is essential at every step of their educational journey.

Our unwavering dedication means that we are always ready to offer additional support, guidance, and assistance to our students throughout their training. We are fully committed to ensuring that the training and education we provide are of the highest quality, and as such, we are prepared to provide appropriate support and, when necessary, refer students to qualified counselors. Our knowledgeable staff members deeply understand the importance of accessibility and fairness and are well-versed in the diverse learning options available to accommodate a wide range of pathways towards qualification completion.

Should any student encounter challenges in completing their program within the designated timeframe, we actively encourage them to communicate this to their Trainer and ACE Program Manager at the earliest opportunity. Furthermore, we have robust processes in place to continuously gather feedback, enabling us to enhance our services and better meet the evolving needs of our students.

Student Information

All students enrolling in Funded Training are entitled to be aware of policies relating to your training, including your rights and responsibilities and avenues for complaint.

The Student Information includes:

a)    ACE Eligibility

b)    ACE Consumer Protection Policy

c)    Domestic Student Handbook

d)   ACE Record Keeping Policy

e)  ACE Marketing & Communication Policy  

SGSCC Membership

SGSCC is a member of:

Adult Learning Australia (ALA)

Community Colleges Australia (CCA)

For all ACE Program enquiries please contact:

• Kerry Caldwell – ACE Program Manager
• P: 02 9580 7885 (Monday to Friday 10am – 2pm)
• E: kcaldwell@sgscc.edu.au
• A: Level 6, 12-14 Ormonde Parade, Hurstville NSW 2220