support to study

A variety of scholarships, fully funded student places and fee exemptions are available to students studying with Mental Health Coordinating Council Learning and Development.

mental health commission of nsw Peer work Student Scholarships

CHC43515 Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work – Standard Course 

Scholarships provide the opportunity for people currently employed as a peer support worker in the mental health and community sector to gain a formal qualification in CHC43515 Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work.

The scholarships aim to develop the peer workforce to meet the evolving needs of the mental health sector. 

If you are currently employed as a peer worker and living or working in NSW, you may be eligible for a funded scholarship place in one of our standard 12-month Mental Health Peer Work courses.

Eligibility 

You will need to meet selection criteria to be eligible for the Mental Health Peer Work Scholarship Program: 

• be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or a holder of a permanent residence visa, or a migrant, refugee or asylum seeker holding a temporary or bridging visa providing work and/or study rights 
• no longer be in school, in accordance with the relevant State’s school leaving requirements 
• students at the time of application that are not in receipt of another Commonwealth or State/Territory bursary or scholarship 
• have lived experience of a mental health condition as a consumer or carer 
• ability to secure a paid or unpaid work placement opportunity in a mental health consumer/carer peer worker role in NSW with a mental health service provider prior to enrolling in the course (this can be existing employment, or a work placement sourced by the student) * 
• have a workplace supervisor or manager willing to provide evidence of the students’ competency in the units/qualification as part of work placement 
• be able to meet the attendance and study requirements to complete the peer work course. 

* please contact MHCC for more details and support in how to obtain this 

Scholarship places will be prioritised for: 

• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people 
• people living in rural or remote areas 
• people employed in non-Government, community-managed organisations 

Scholarships are currently being pre-allocated for courses in 2024. Students will receive information about their course and subsequent dates early-2024. 

To find out more, including information regarding scholarships, contact our training team at training@mhcc.org.au or call us on 02 9060 9630

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MHCC provides Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work scholarships under programs funded by the Mental Health Commission of NSW and Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. 

Smart and Skilled Funding

CHC43515 Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work – Standard Course

CHC43315 Certificate IV in Mental Health – Standard Course

Depending on your previous qualifications and experience you may qualify for subsidised fees or fee exemptions through the Smart and Skilled program funded by the Department of Education through Training Services NSW.

Subsidised fees or fee exemptions are offered to students in the Certificate IV in Mental Health and Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work.

Smart and Skilled is a NSW Government program that offers subsidised training for courses on the NSW Skills List, which identifies industry areas that need more qualified workers. It is offered through the NSW Vocational Education and Training (VET) system to help people find a job and advance their careers. For information on eligibility and conditions for Smart and Skilled training go here.

To find out more contact our training team at training@mhcc.org.au or call us on 02 9060 9630. 

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Smart and Skilled fee schedule

smart and skilled Traineeships

Traineeships are a proven pathway to well-paid jobs in a diverse range of careers. In NSW, traineeships are also fee-free. Traineeships combine work-based training with formal training from a registered training provider. 

Eligibility 

To be eligible, you must be a NSW trainee and have commenced your Smart and Skilled traineeship training after 1 January 2020. 

For information on how to become a trainee, go here. 

Contact us at training@mhcc.org.au to arrange for an apprenticeship network provider representative to visit your workplace to assess your eligibility and complete the relevant paperwork to sign you up as a Trainee.

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Member discounts

Staff from member organisations of Mental Health Coordinating Council are entitled to generous discounts on our short courses, professional development and online training.

Find out more about the other benefits of membership.

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Further information

Our training team can help you with questions you may have on scholarship opportunities, fees exemptions and how to get through the enrolment process.

Contact the team at training@mhcc.org.au or call us on 02 9060 9630. 

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