Study at TAFE | Guide to TAFE Courses in Australia

• Certificate III in Education Support (Teacher’s Aide)
• Certificate III in Individual Support (Aged Care)
• Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping
• Certificate IV in Beauty Therapy
• Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing
• Diploma of Beauty Therapy
• Diploma of Community Services
• Diploma of Counselling

What is TAFE?

TAFE Definition

TAFE, VET & AQF

Why Go To TAFE?

• Entry requirements are not nearly as strict as for university study. There are no entry requirements for Certificate I courses, for instance, and if you’ve completed your A levels, you may enter at the TAFE Diploma level
• TAFE is flexible. They can be studied part-time, full-time, online or on-campus
• Some TAFE institutes offer rolling registrations, so you can apply for and start your course whenever it’s convenient for you. In other words, you don’t have to wait for semester dates
• TAFE is affordable, and there are several government funding programs that make higher education even more accessible, no matter what your income or budget
• TAFE qualifications can be used as pathways to undergraduate degrees and can shorten the period of undergraduate study by up to a year
• Some TAFE institutes are able to offer undergraduate degree courses and graduate certificates and diplomas, so you don’t even have to transfer to another school
• TAFE is ideal for people who want to change careers and who need to study for their new profession while still working in their old one
• TAFE can be used for continuing professional development
• Short courses can also be used to develop a new hobby or expand on existing hobby skills

What Study Options Are Available?

• Semester Courses

  TAFE semester courses are structured according to predetermined dates: application dates, starting dates, assignment dates, exam dates, and closing dates, etc. All on-campus courses are semester based, but not all online courses are. Semesters vary from region to region and institute to institute, so TAFE in VIC may not start at the same time as those in QLD.

• Online Courses

  Most TAFE institutes offer students online study options, even though they may be traditional brick and mortar institutions. It’s important to note that not all courses are suited to online study. If this is the case, some institutes may offer hybrid courses in which students have to attend a certain number of practicals, tutorials, or lecture hours per study unit or course.

• Short Courses

  TAFE short courses serve a number of purposes. They can be introductory courses for certain applications, like beginners courses in Microsoft Word. Interested parties can then increase their skills with intermediate and advanced courses. They can also top up existing skills, for example, research methodology for doctorate students, or BAS Registration for accountants and tax professionals. Short courses vary in duration from half-day to six weeks.

TAFE in Australia – Institutes by State

QLD

NSW

ACT

VIC

TAS

SA

WA

NT

TAFE in Queensland

• TAFE Brisbane

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• TAFE East Coast

  The Sunshine Coast is provided TAFE courses through TAFE East Coast, which has a number of locations along the East Sunshine Coast, including; Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Nambour, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Gympie and Maryborough. It offers students pathways to undergraduate degrees at the University of the Sunshine Coast. It offers a diverse range of courses in the fields of Business, Engineering, IT, Graphic Design, and Health, among others. Browse TAFE East Coast Courses

• TAFE North

  The Tropical North Queensland has many TAFE campuses provided through TAFE North, based in and around Cairns. It’s other campus locations include; Atherton, Bamaga, Bowen, Burdekin, Cairns (Great Barrier Reef International Marine College), Charters Towers, Cloncurry, Ingham, Innisfail, Mount Isa, Normanton, Palm Island, Thursday Island, Townsville and the Whitsundays. It specialises in marine-related courses, but it has faculties in Business, Environment, Sustainability and Tourism, Heath and Community Care, Marine and IT, Trade and Outdoor Industries.

• TAFE Gold Coast

  TAFE Gold Coast has campuses along Queensland’s famed Gold Coast, with locations in Ashmore, Coolangatta, Coomera and Southport. It offers various apprenticeships and traineeships, TAFE certificates and diplomas, government funded programs, and indigenous programs. It provides pathways to several universities, including Queensland University of Technology, Griffith University, University of Southern Queensland, James Cook University, and Australian Catholic University. Browse Gold Coast Courses

TAFE in the ACT

• Canberra TAFE

  Canberra Institute of Technology has six campuses in the city: Bruce, Fyshwick, Gungahlin, Reid, Tuggeranong, and Woden. It offers over 400 courses, including apprenticeships, traineeships, certificates, diplomas and degrees. The subjects available are incredibly diverse and include Accounting, Aged Care, Drainage, Information Technology, Nursing, Travel and Tourism, Visual Arts, Welding, and Youth Justice. Browse Courses in Canberra

TAFE Victoria

• Melbourne TAFE

  If you’re in Melbourne, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to TAFE providers, as most have at least one campus in the city. Browse Courses in Melbourne

• Melbourne Polytechnic

  (previouslyNorthern Melbourne Institute of TAFE) has seven campuses: Preston, Collingwood, Fairfield, Epping, Heidelberg, Prahran and soon the newly refurbished Greensborough campus. The centres specialise in different subjects such as Welding, Food Technology, Environmentally Sustainable Practices, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Performing Arts, Aquaculture, Cattle Farming, and Wine Making. Browse Courses in Melbourne

• Victoria University TAFE

  Victoria University (VU) offers a variety of courses from its different campuses in the territory through its TAFE branch, Victoria Polytechnic. Study fields include Arts, Business, Education, Engineering and Science, Health and Biomedicine, Law and Justice, and Sport and Exercise Science. Browse Courses in Melbourne

• Box Hill TAFE

  Box Hill Institute offers courses across three campuses in the East Melbourne area. The campuses include; Lilydale, Box Hill and City Campus. Courses are available in a number of different fields, including Animals and Science, Arts and Music, Automotive and Transport, Business and IT, Construction and Plumbing, Education and Languages, Electrical and Refrigeration, Engineering and Manufacturing, Hair and Beauty, Health and Community, and Hospitality and Tourism. Browse Courses in Melbourne

• Holmesglen TAFE

  Holmesglen Institute of TAFE has five campuses in Melbourne: Chadstone Campus, Southbank City, Moorabbin Campus, North Melbourne, and Glen Waverley Campus. It offers over 100 courses in various forms, including short courses, apprenticeships, online courses, university preparation courses, TAFE certificates and diplomas, and bachelor degrees and graduate certificates. Browse Courses in Melbourne

• Chisholm TAFE

  Chisholm offers courses from south east Melbourne. It has six campuses: Bass Coast, Berwick, Cranbourne, Dandenong, Frankston, and Mornington Peninsula. In addition to on-campus study opportunities, there are online learning options and even options to complete TAFE in your workplace. Chisholm TAFE provides pathways to several universities, including Monash University, Deakin University, La Trobe University, Swinburne University, and Victoria University. Browse Courses in Melbourne

• Kangan Institute of TAFE

  Kangan Institute offers nearly 300 courses from six campuses in Melbourne, including Broadmeadows, Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Richmond, and Docklands. It also has 10 training centres that cover fields such as Aviation, Automotive, Fashion, Health, and Engineering. Browse Courses in Melbourne

• Bendigo TAFE

  Bendigo TAFE has three campuses in Bendigo, as well as two others in Echuca and Castlemaine in northern and central Victoria. TAFE certificate through to diploma courses are available in a variety of fields, such as Occupational Health and Safety, Conservation and Land Management, Engineering, Visual Arts, Nursing, Mental Health, Allied Health, Beauty Therapy, and Information Technology Networking. Browse Courses in Melbourne

Tasmania TAFE

• TasTAFE

  TasTAFE has 13 campuses across the state; Alanvale, Inveresk, Launceston, Burnie, Devonport, Smithton, South Burnie, Bathurst Street, Bender Drive, Campbell Street, Claremont, Clarence and Drysdale. It offers a wide range of courses, available through full-time and part- time study methods, as well as a select range of online courses. Just about every field of subject is covered, with a combined total of 400 courses. Browse Courses in Tasmania

TAFE SA

• TAFE SA

  TAFE SA campuses in Adelaide include; Adelaide Campus, Regency Campus, Elizabeth Campus, Gilles Plaines Campus, Morphettville Campus, Parafield Campus, Salisbury Campus, Tee Tree Gully Campus, Port Adelaide Campus, Urrbrae Campus, Tonsley Campus, Noarlunga Campus and Adelaide College of the Arts. Courses cover a wide range of study areas, such as Agriculture, Design, Engineering, Marketing, Education, Beauty, Tourism, IT and Health. Browse Courses in South Australia

TAFE WA

• Central Institute of Technology (CIT)
• West Coast Institute of Training
• Challenger Institute of Technology (Challenger TAFE)
• Great Southern Institute of Technology
• Kimberley Training Institute
• South West Institute of Technology
• Pilbara Institute
• Polytechnic West

• Perth

  North Metropolitan TAFE is the primary TAFE provider in the Perth region, the campuses include; Leederville, East Perth, Mount Lawlet, Northbridge, Joondalup and the recently acquired Balga and Midland. Courses range from certificate to advanced diploma level, with full-time, part-time and online options available as well as short courses. just about every subject is also covered, from agriculture, construction, engineering, through to beauty and hospitality. Browse Courses in Perth

• Bunbury

  TAFE in Bunbury is provided by South Regional TAFE. Bunbury is the institute’s main campus. It offers students many state-of-the-art facilities, serving a wide range of course subject offerings. South Regional TAFE provides certificate to advanced diploma level courses, as well as a number of short courses and university pathway options for future study. Browse Courses in Bunbury

TAFE NT

• Darwin

  Charles Darwin University offers a comprehensive range of TAFE across several industries, including Agriculture, Conservation and Land Management, Children’s Services and Education Support, Community Services and Health, Business, IT and Library Studies, Tourism and Hospitality, Construction, Drafting and Industry Skills Training, Plumbing, Metal Trades, and National Transport and Logistics Training. Browse Courses in Darwin

Types of Government Funding

Australian Apprentices Program

• Tools For Your Trade Payment: Apprentices are given tax exempt cash payments to cover all training costs. Apprentices must be enrolled in Certificate III or IV courses on the National Skills Needs List, although there are certain exceptions.
• Living Away from Home Allowance: Apprentices are given a living allowance for the first three years of their training away from home.
• Support for Adult Australian Apprentices: Designed to encourage adults to improve their skills and training. The payment amount is determined according to the wages the apprentice earns. Criteria include being 25 years and old, and being enrolled in Certificate III or IV courses on the National Skills Needs List.
• Support for Australian Apprentices with Disability: Includes several initiatives for employers who want to accommodate more disabled apprentices and the disabled apprentices themselves.
• Apprentice Kickstart Initiative: Is aimed at employers to encourage businesses to offer apprenticeships in building and construction, and engineering.

Other Funding Programmes

Loan Schemes & Financial Assistance

• HECS-HELP: A loan scheme and discount program for Commonwealth supported students.
• FEE-HELP: A loan scheme that helps students pay all or a portion of their tuition fees. Students have a FEE-HELP limit; this depends on the field being studied.
• SA-HELP: A loan scheme that helps pay for all or a portion of student services and amenities fees, including sporting activities, child care, food services, and financial advice.
• VET Student Loans: This replaced the previous VET FEE- HELP. For students taking higher level VET courses; i.e., diploma level and above. It is used for tuition fees and not sundry study costs.