It can be daunting to change careers between finding the time to study, balancing finances and choosing a new path. But Earn and Learn helps close the gap on your leap of faith.

There are many reasons you might want to change careers: your current industry is transitioning, you’re researching jobs of the future, or you’re simply ready to take on a new challenge.

Whatever your goals may be, Earn and Learn is a vocational study program that aims to help you confidently take that next step. The program lets you complete a qualification while you work full-time at councils in Victoria, and it’s delivered by leading dual-sector universities like RMIT University, Swinburne University, Victoria University and Federation University.

Here are some reasons why Earn and Learn could be ideal for you, especially if you’re weighing up a career change.

#1: You’ll be able to balance work, life and study

Managing your time and finances can feel like the biggest barrier to changing careers. Entering a new field often requires you to study, and many courses have a weekly commitment that just doesn’t fit with your work or family schedule. For many, reducing working hours to take on study also isn’t feasible.

Earn and Learn enables you to study a vocational qualification while you work, empowering you to pursue your goals head on. You’ll be able to maintain an income and have study hours that feel manageable between work and life.

Depending on the council you choose to work with, you may also be able to access:

• Study fee assistance
• Flexible arrangements to balance work and study
• Council mentors that strengthen your career network.

Catherine Rose embraced the flexibility of Earn and Learn at the City of Stonnington. She studied a course in project and change management, delivered by Federation University.

“Balancing full-time work with study has always been one of my biggest considerations,” she said.

“Earn and Learn made professional development much more accessible by offering self-paced learning that could fit around my work commitments.

“I could complete the modules at times that suited me and apply what I was learning straight away, which helped reinforce the concepts and made the training practical and relevant to my work.”

You’ll graduate from Earn and Learn having gained a vocational qualification, such as a certificate or diploma, from a leading education provider. Each university involved in Earn and Learn delivers qualifications for different fields.

No matter who you study with, your qualification will be recognised at a national level, enabling you to start working in the field or continue a pathway towards accreditation.

Changing careers involves a process of weighing up and calculating the risks, benefits and long-term opportunities that will be available to you. Part of that equation is assessing where your new career fits into our rapidly changing workforce, and balancing stability with growth opportunities.

Earn and Learn focuses on in-demand fields that support exciting developments in our cities and communities. These fields are the focus of long-term workforce planning in the Victorian local government sector, and include:

• Urban planning
• Building surveying
• IT
• Civil engineering
• Finance.

Councils across Victoria are also currently experiencing employee shortages in these areas. By upskilling in one of these fields through Earn and Learn, you’ll be pursuing a well-supported career with longevity, growth opportunities and support in council.

Catherine said having support for learning and development in her council also contributed to her experience as an Earn and Learn participant.

“Having a workplace that values continuous learning made it much easier to prioritise the training and see it as an investment in both my own development and the work I contribute across the organisation,” she said.

"Local government offers the opportunity to do meaningful work that has a genuine impact on the community while you gaining valuable skills and experience.

“There are opportunities to learn, collaborate across diverse teams and build a rewarding career in an environment that supports professional development.”

#4: You’ll be able to access university support services

It can be challenging to return to a study mindset – but you won’t have to go through that journey alone.

As a student of either RMIT, Swinburne, Federation University or Victoria University, you’ll have access to a range of university support services that are there to help you thrive. Some examples include:

• Career services, such as free career counselling, job fairs and industry mentorships
• Equitable learning services, including individually tailored learning plans to help people with disability and/or neurodiversity succeed at university
• Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, including culturally safe counselling and advocacy or guidance from Indigenous support staff
• Support for culturally diverse students, such as English language support
• Support for LGBTIQA+ students, such as community connection and free specialist counselling.

#5: You could open doors to pathways, accreditation and new goals

If you’ve always been considering studying at an undergraduate or postgraduate level, Earn and Learn could be the stepping stone to get you there.

Your Earn and Learn course starts as a vocational qualification with one of the four partner universities. After you complete your first qualification, you’ll have opportunities to pursue pathways to further study, such as a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Depending on your existing qualifications, your prior learning could also be recognised and take study time off the qualification you pathway into.

Some fields, like building surveying, require you to complete further studies before you can be accredited in the field. Earn and Learn gives you a head start in obtaining that accreditation!

Beyond the training itself, Earn and Learn has also deepened Catherine’s passion for continuous improvement. It has helped her identify areas she would like to continue developing as she progresses through her career.

“The training has strengthened both my confidence and capability,” she said.

“It’s helped me build on my experience in digital transformation while strengthening my skills in project management, communication and change management.

“I’m looking forward to further strengthening my leadership capability and contributing to strategic initiatives across council.”

Ready to get started? Find an advertised job at a Victorian council and reach out to them to learn how you can start your own Earn and Learn journey.

Disclaimer: This program is only available to Australian citizens, permanent residents, and eligible domestic visa holders employed by a participating Victorian council. The content on this page was last updated and is accurate as of September 2026.

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