Career Transition Assistance (CTA) Program 001-18050900

The CTA Program is administered by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).

The CTA Program provides reskilling opportunities for job seekers aged 45 years and over who are registered with a Workforce Australia provider.

The CTA Program is also available to Disability Support Pension (DSP) recipients aged 45 years and over who volunteer to participate, and the CTA activity will be included in their DSP Participation Plan by their provider as a voluntary activity.

The CTA Program is not available:

• in Community Development Program (CDP) designated areas,
• to those participating with a Disability Employment Services (DES) provider,
• to those participating in Transition to Work (TtW), or
• to those participating in ParentsNext

The CTA Program consists of two separate phases:

• Tailored Career Assistance (TCA) - is an intensive short course to build job seekers' understanding of the labour market and teach resilience, and
• Functional Digital Literacy (FDL) - is IT training

Participation in the program is not compulsory. The job seeker can decline the provider's offer to place them in the program. If the job seeker chooses to participate, the approved activity can only be included in the Job Plan as a voluntary activity, and they will be required to agree to other activities also being included in their Job Plan.

An eligible job seeker can complete the CTA Program phases in any order or concurrently.

There is no Approved Programme of Work Supplement (APWS) associated with the CTA Program.

Where a job seeker contacts the agency requesting participation in the CTA Program, the Service Officer should refer the job seeker to their Workforce Australia provider to discuss. If the job seeker is not already connected to a Workforce Australia provider, connect the job seeker and make the referral. See Registering a customer as a job seeker.

Where a job seeker who has commenced in the CTA Program contacts the agency requesting to withdraw from the program, the Service Officer should refer the job seeker to their Workforce Australia provider to discuss exiting the program.

The CTA Program is administered by the DEWR and job seekers will need to discuss participation with their Workforce Australia provider, who will determine if they are eligible.

Participation in the CTA Program is for job seekers aged 45 years and over and will be included in their Job Plan by their provider as a voluntary activity.

Job seekers aged 45 years and older with mutual obligation requirements can choose to participate in the CTA Program and will have the CTA Program approved activity added to their Job Plan as a voluntary activity by their provider.

Job seekers who do not have mutual obligation requirements (including those with a current exemption), can volunteer to participate in the CTA Program and will be referred to a Workforce Australia provider for assessment. See Registering a customer as a job seeker.

Both phases of the CTA Program are approved activities and job seekers with mutual obligation requirements can partially meet their requirements, regardless of whether they are participating in one phase, or both phases concurrently.

This means the job seeker will be required to undertake other approved activities in conjunction with the CTA Program to fully meet their mutual obligation requirements. The Workforce Australia provider will negotiate a Job Plan with the job seeker, and will include other activities to ensure the job seeker is fully meeting their requirements.