The NRL has today received a continued commitment from the Australian Government to fund the Game's Vocational Education Training (VET) pathways program through to the end of 2020.
Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education, Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, announced the financial commitment of $350,000 whilst attending the Justin Hodges Cup – a schoolboy rugby league nines competition – on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
The NRL has run a successful VET program, with support from the Australian Government since 2012, with more than 250 current representative players – from under 18s through to the NRL – currently enrolled in an Australian Apprenticeship or Traineeship.
NRL Head of Government and Community Relations, Jaymes Boland-Rudder thanked the Minister and Australian Government for their continued support of the program and said the financial assistance would help encourage male and female athletes, along with the broader community, to undertake apprenticeships whilst playing rugby league.
"Close to 90% of our NRL players are engaged in a career, with many of them VET qualified or studying to complete a trade," Mr Boland-Rudder said.
"This is a welcome funding addition to a program that has been successful for many years. It's important that as a game, we continue to encourage and support players to live a balanced life that includes a mix of rugby league and further career engagement for life after football."
Minister Cash said she looked forward to the NRL continuing to raise the status of VET and further promote real skills for real careers.
"This funding will support the NRL's work to provide player and community education, including NRL VET Ambassadors who continue to share their success stories and promote the value of Australian Apprenticeships and VET qualifications throughout the country," Minister Cash said.
"Having a nationally-recognised qualification will ensure players are gaining skills that can take them anywhere and set them up on the road to success."
