About Our Scholarships

About

Australian Overseas Foundation

AOF International Trade Scholarship

The Australian Overseas Foundation (AOF) supports outstanding Australian apprentices and trainees to undertake structured international industry placements designed to strengthen technical capability, leadership and global industry awareness.

AOF Awards recognise excellence in vocational education and training (VET) and provide scholars with the opportunity to gain exposure to advanced technologies, training, international best practice and new industry perspectives.

Australian Overseas Foundation

Who Can Apply?

Applicants

Each year, the Australian Overseas Foundation (AOF) provides a limited number of overseas awards to help Australians fulfil their dreams of working internationally in their chosen field.

Applicants must:

Be an Australian Citizen or Australian Permanent Resident
Be currently enrolled in their final year of study, or recently completed, a Certificate within an apprenticeship or traineeship model
Demonstrate excellence in their trade
Show leadership potential and professional maturity
Be capable of representing AOF and Australian industry internationally

Australian Overseas Foundation

What the Award Supports

Support

The Award provides successful applicants with structured support to undertake an approved international placement and remain connected to the AOF community.

Successful applicants will receive:

Structured support to secure an approved international placement
Mentorship before, during and after placement
Ongoing connection to the AOF alumni network
Opportunity to act as an AOF Ambassador following return

Placement duration and structure will be agreed upon in consultation with AOF and the successful scholar.

Australian Overseas Foundation

Selection Process

Selection

Applications are evaluated against a set of documented selection criteria designed to identify candidates with strong professional capability and leadership potential.

Applications are assessed against documented selection criteria including:

Trade Excellence
Professional Conduct & Workplace Readiness
Leadership & Contribution
Purpose & Motivation
Overseas Learning Objectives
Industry & Community Impact

Shortlisted applicants will undergo a structured reference verification process.

Final approval is made by the AOF Board.

Australian Overseas Foundation

OPEN SCHOLARSHIPS

2026 STEM Focus Scholarship Round now open

Opportunities

Eligible trades may include (but are not limited to):

Automotive, fabrication and welding, electrical and electrotechnology, mining and resources, advanced manufacturing, engineering trades, robotics, and other technology-based skilled trades.

Applications are open to all eligible candidates, with women strongly encouraged to apply to support greater gender diversity in STEM trades.

Key Dates – 2026 Round