Welcome to Cashed Up – Start Earning.
Completing this course will give you an understanding of what to expect when you start working and earning. The focus is on your first job as a casual worker.
As you work through the course, you'll cover the practical side of income tax, learn about your rights at work and understand your responsibilities as an employee.
- Your teacher will direct your journey through this course. You'll complete tasks to practise what you've learned as you work through it.
- This course should take you approximately 6 - 8 hours to complete.
You will receive your course-completion badge when you:
- Reach 100% progress in your course by working through all the course materials and attempting all tasks.
- Achieve 75% on all assessed tasks, including those marked by your facilitator.
The Start Earning course sections are:
1. Take a good look at tax.
Dive into how income tax works and how it affects your wages.
2. Your minimum terms and conditions at work
Explore the environment you should expect at work, and how much you should be paid.
3. Your rights and protections at work
Learn how your employer protects your entitlements at work.
4. Responsibilities at work
Investigate your employer's responsibilities, as well as your own responsibilities at work.
This course will close on December 19th, 2025. The updated version will be available via the Financial Basics Foundation website in January 2026.
Select Start the course in the banner above to get you started on earning.
- Students translate the effect of Australia’s progressive income tax system on the amount of tax withheld from wages.
- Students use a calculator to determine income tax payable on wages for a specified pay period.
- Students recognise the purpose of having a TFN, and the consequences of not having a TFN.
- Students examine the procedures for applying for a TFN.
- Students recognise the purpose of completing a TFN declaration and the consequences of not completing a TFN declaration.
- Students use a simulator to complete a tax return.
- Students review the key features of the Fair Work Act terms and conditions, and application to casual employment.
- Students demonstrate procedures to locate a Modern Award and determine a pay rate for a specific classification.
- Students recognise Fair Work Act rights and protections at work.
- Students explain how net pay is determined.
- Students label the components of a pay slip.
- Students identify the employer’s WHS responsibilities.
- Students identify the procedures to report and manage injury at work.
- Students assess the basic responsibilities of a valued employee.
- Students recognise their responsibility towards their own workplace health and safety, and the workplace health and safety of their colleagues at work.
Download Cashed Up – Start Earning educator support resources.
Download our top tips for young people entering the workforce in the Get Ready Workforce fact sheet for a range of useful information for your students.
Download Cashed Up – Start Earning course information and ACARA V.9.0 curriculum mapping.