Grow your skills to support adult learners
ACE Scholarships help adult community education (ACE) educators build their skills, confidence and qualifications.
Whether you're new to teaching adults or want to take the next step in your career, ACE Scholarships provide funded professional development opportunities designed for the ACE sector.
The scholarships were developed in response to feedback from ACE providers and educators across South Australia. They aim to strengthen teaching practice and improve outcomes for adult learners and communities.
Find the right scholarship for you
ACE Ignite: build your skills and confidence
ACE Ignite is designed for new and emerging ACE educators.
Through the CHCSS00101 Language, Literacy and Numeracy Skill Set, you'll learn practical strategies to support adult learners with language, literacy and numeracy needs.
ACE Ignite can help you:
- Build confidence as an ACE educator
- Develop practical teaching skills
- Better support adult learners
- Connect with other ACE educators across South Australia
- Gain a nationally recognised skill set.
ACE Accelerate: take the next step in your teaching career
ACE Accelerate supports experienced ACE educators to complete the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
This qualification can help you strengthen your teaching and assessment skills, deliver accredited training and support learners moving into vocational education and training (VET).
ACE Accelerate can help you:
- Gain a nationally recognised qualification
- Improve your teaching and assessment practice
- Deliver accredited training
- Build your professional skills
- Better support learners into further study and employment.
Why apply?
ACE Scholarships provide support for both educators and providers.
Educators receive funding to help with study-related costs, while providers receive funding to support staff participation.
As a scholarship recipient, you'll also be part of a network of ACE educators who are committed to helping adult learners succeed.
ACE Accelerate
Scholarships are for South Australian ACE educators who are delivering adult community education to adult learners.
You can apply if you are:
- An ACE educator currently delivering adult community education in South Australia, or
- An ACE provider with a Funded Activities Agreement (FAA) and meeting contractual requirements with Skills SA.
Around 15 scholarships are awarded each year through a competitive application process.
Each scholarship is worth $1,500, including:
- $500 for the educator
- $1,000 for the ACE provider to support participation and release time.
The scholarship can help cover costs related to completing the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, including:
- Course fees and materials
- Study leave
- Other study-related expenses.
You can enrol with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) of your choice.
Before applying, make sure you read the guidelines.
Applications are accepted until all scholarships have been awarded.
Applications will be assessed on:
- Your reasons for undertaking the qualification
- How the scholarship may benefit learners, colleagues or the ACE sector
- Your ability to complete the qualification.
Skills SA aims to assess applications within two weeks. Applicants will be notified by email as soon as the outcome of their application is finalised.
- Applications open: now
- Applications close: when allocation is exhausted.
- Scholarship period: scholarships are generally for 12 months.
ACE Ignite
Scholarships are for South Australian ACE educators who are delivering adult community education to adult learners.
You can apply if you are:
- An ACE educator currently delivering adult community education in South Australia, or
- An ACE provider with a Funded Activities Agreement (FAA) and meeting contractual requirements with Skills SA.
Around 15 scholarships are awarded each year through a competitive application process.
Each scholarship is worth $1,200, including:
- $200 for the educator
- $1,000 for the ACE provider to support participation and release time.
Training is fully subsidised. Scholarship funding can help cover:
- Study leave
- Other study-related expenses.
The commitment includes:
- Attending a welcome and induction workshop
- Completing self-paced learning
- Attending online and in-person workshops
- Attending a graduation event
Guidelines will be published and an online application form made available when scholarship rounds open.
Applications will be assessed on:
- Your reasons for undertaking the qualification
- How the scholarship may benefit learners, colleagues or the ACE sector
- Your ability to complete the qualification.
- Applications open: expected October 2026
- Applications close: to be advised.