The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) provides Citizenship Support Grants Program (CSGP) funding for the delivery of support services to help clients prepare to sit for the Australian citizenship test.
The CSGP currently runs as a one-year pilot with a strong focus on evaluation and trialling of different service models. During the 2008-09 pilot year of the CSGP, Central TAFE offers courses to cater for the specific needs of the clients which include low English proficiency, a lack of formal education, difficulty performing within a formal testing regime and little or no experience with computers. The course is FREE to all eligible clients.
Central TAFE is the first point of contact for clients requiring support services. Central TAFE is responsible for:
- assessing the eligibility of the clients to sit for the test
- identifying those clients who are not required to sit the test
- assessing the needs of the client, particularly those with limited English language proficiency
- registering the application on the Grants Online Form (GOLF) and ensuring that all fields are correctly completed
- providing advice on the nature of the test and eligibility for a Standard Test and an Assisted Test
- provision of information and referrals to other services which may assist clients to prepare for the test
- provision of interpreting services where English language proficiency is low