Highlights
- TAFE provides vocational education, training and career advice across Australia
- Citizens, permanent residents, international students and some temporary visa holders can go to TAFE
- Free courses are available for jobs in some sectors
Completing a higher education course can lead to your first job in Australia, help you upgrade your skills to get a better job, or even help you change your career, altogether.
The Technical and Further Education system (TAFE) is the public provider of vocational education and training in Australia.
TAFE institutes in each state and territory, offer part-time and full-time courses, on-campus options and online courses, across a wide variety of industries and professions.
The Executive Director of the Victorian TAFE Association, Andrew Williamson, says TAFE offers over a thousand different courses from accounting and automobile industries to hair and beauty, building and construction, business and marketing, community services, healthcare, early child education and many more.
Source: Getty Images/Maskot
Mr Williamson also says that prospective students can explore a range of options, get support and career advice at their local TAFE.
We're able to have qualified career advisors sit down with our prospective students and talk through their options and what they want to achieve in their career.
Man at a drilling machine, TAFE Source: Getty Images/Peter Muller
Mandy Nour, the Adult Migrant English Program lead for TAFE New South Wales, says some courses necessitate a certain level of English proficiency as an entry requirement.
If you don't meet the entry requirement for the course, we can advise you on other ways to get there. For example, it might be possible to start with a lower level course.
Many TAFE staff members speak languages other than English, but if at your local TAFE no staff can speak your language, you can use free phone interpreting service provided by the Department of Home Affairs.
Once you are connected to an interpreter who speaks your language, you will need to provide your local TAFE number before the phone conference can start.
For jobs that are in high demand, there is a list of government-subsidised courses in several states.
Source: Getty Images/FatCamera
Mr Williamson says that in Victoria there are 40 to 50 free courses that range from pre-apprenticeship courses to certificates IV and to diplomas.
The government will pay the TAFE directly instead of a student having to pay the course fees.
Free and partially subsidised courses are mostly available to citizens, permanent residents, refugees and asylum seekers.
Mandy Nour says that for temporary visa holders or people who need financial help there are also some options.
Course fees can be paid in instalments, and we have, for the higher-level courses, debt student loan or FEE-HELP, which is funded by the Commonwealth government and allow people to study now and pay later.
To take the next step in your career and find out what financial help is available, get in touch with your local TAFE.