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Author Topic: Don't know what SBAT is? Here's a guide.  (Read 8787 times)  Share 

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Poet

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Don't know what SBAT is? Here's a guide.
« on: November 07, 2019, 08:26:15 pm »
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Hi, lovelies!

So, there's one thing we can all agree on - VCAA isn't the best at educating us on the broader options sometimes. Which is ironic, considering they exist solely for the purpose of education.

After exiting school last year and pursuing work at a training company that caters to VCE students, I've realised that it can be very important for us to understand all of our options before taking the most common route. Straight and true VCE isn't for all of us, and that's something I realised much too late. So to prevent others going into VCE from making the same slip-ups I did, I'll be sharing information on potential options that may suit your learning style better.

Here's one option I never knew existed - SBAT.


What is the/a SBAT?

SBAT (pronounced S-Bat if you don’t want to sound like you’re about to spit on someone) stands for Student Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship. It’s a smaller and much lesser known vocational program initiated by VCAA in Victoria and funded by the Victorian Government. SBATs are completed in conjunction with your VCE or VCAL and work a lot like a VET course in that you use school time to achieve your certificate. All certificates offered via SBAT programs should be nationally accredited, meaning that your certificate, once achieved, will be recognised Australia-wide. Offered courses commonly include Certificate IIs, IIIs and IVs in Business, Nursing, Ageing and Disability Support, Community Services, and more.

Undertaking an SBAT is pretty cool – as a government subsidised program, you will only have to pay a small administration/tuition fee for 12 months of training, and the government covers the rest through your provider. As well as that, undertaking a SBAT means that you will have about 13 hours a week of training; 6 hours in the classroom and 7 hours in the workplace – within your school time.

Yeah, the workplace. Unlike VET courses, SBATs require paid time in a practically oriented environment. Which, of course, means that you garner more than 120 hours at absolute minimum of real experience in your chosen workplace, and get money for it.

However, a common mistake students make when it comes to the SBAT is that it will be easy. Undertaking a Certificate, particularly a Certificate III or IV, can be quite heavy and challenging. In workplaces in Disability and Aged Care, you can face some very real issues. And if a person is not prepared for the reality of working in such an environment, it can act as a bit of a wakeup call. So, if you’re passionate about or intrigued by an advertised SBAT, make sure to read through the conditions carefully.
As well as that, VCAA are yet to give SBAT students holidays. The monsters. (Pro tip, if you wanna go MIA just put it in as Annual Leave on your work sheets 😉)

SBAT is a fantastic and under-utilised pathway into immediate higher-wage employment after school, or acceleration into a university degree of your choosing. Or hell, why not both?


So now we’ve covered what it is, how does it work?

Interested? Find a training provider, known as a non-school Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
Ask them about an advertised course you’re interested in and get your careers or VCE Coordinator (and parent/guardian if under the age of 18) involved in the discussion. Most RTOs will have an information pack or their own process by which they will meet with you and your school contact to go through the requirements of undertaking the SBAT, and make sure you can juggle it with your VCE or VCAL. Note that you can apply only if you are:

  • Over the age of 15
  • Undertaking the Victorian Certificate of Education (in which a course completion acts as a 10% increment) or the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (where course completion is part of your overall pass)
  • An Australian Citizen or permanent resident. You may also be eligible under certain Visa types.


Complete a test known as the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (LLN).
This is a basic test in which your competency level in reading, writing, oral communication, literacy and learning is reviewed. If deemed competent at the levels required to complete your desired Certificate, this test will also serve as your ticket to government funding for your course – meaning that you, with concession, pay less than 100 dollars overall (depending on your RTO!) and the government covers the rest. If you do not meet the standards to complete a course, some training providers have bridging courses to assist learners achieve their required competency levels before entering.

Look for or accept a proposition from a workplace relevant to your course.
Some RTOs will search for workplaces for you; other times, your school will have one available, or you will find one yourself. For SBATs, most workplaces will act as host employers – you will log your hours signed off by a supervisor and then send that in to be paid by the RTO. This means that part of your agreement with your training provider will be a Training Contract in which you, your provider and your workplace agree on hours per week, requirements of your placement and an estimated end date. Your parent/guardian will also be involved if you are under the age of 18.

Go get ‘em!
Your classes will be at a set location and upon confirmation of your enrolment, you should receive a training plan with the units you will learn, set dates for sessions, and the location/s of your classes. That’s 2 school days a week for your course, and every unit delivered is marked competent individually. So, even if you decide you hate the course you’re in, you can leave with credits from completed units even if you have not achieved a certificate. Fair warning, however; government funding will only apply in full if you have never done a Cert. course with an RTO before, meaning that you’ll have to pay a lot more to go back and finish if you change your mind.



And that’s about it. As Administration and Marketing Officer for an RTO offering SBAT courses into 2020, I’ve filtered the necessary information for you – but there’s a lot more on this program. If you wanted to check it out, I’ve linked VCAA’s SBAT Guide here.

If you’re seriously interested in undertaking an SBAT next year, dive into a google search for SBAT Victoria and whatever courses you want to complete. TAFEs and Institutes like VU, Melb Poly or Kangan are common and reliable course sources and will probably be the first things to come up in your searches, although almost every one will have their own standard procedures when dealing with enquiries and enrolments. Just be extra sure you’re not buying into things too quickly – online course ads from unknown companies can be *super* dodgy; and because SBATs are done nationally, make sure you’re viewing Victorian options.

That’s all! Hopefully I have given some insight into a great option for your future studies. Love y'all :))


Any questions?

Feel free to ask further questions about the SBAT or courses below.
Please don't PM me unless it's personal; the more questions answered publicly, the more knowledge others can gain, too.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2019, 08:50:47 am by Poet »
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Joseph41

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Re: Don't know what SBAT is? Here's a guide.
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2019, 12:20:51 pm »
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Fantastic resource!

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