- New data shows 46,476 enrolments in Fee-Free TAFE in 2024
- Already more than 25,000 enrolments in fee-free qualifications and skill sets this year
- Record enrolments follow State Government making 140 courses fee-free
- Cook Labor Government to invest $58 million in Fee-Free TAFE and apprenticeships through Made in WA
The Cook Labor Government's Fee-Free TAFE initiative is going from strength to strength with a surge in enrolments last year helping grow the State's pipeline of construction, care and early childhood education workers.
New data shows 46,476 enrolments by students in Fee-Free TAFE qualifications and skill sets last year, with enrolments up among people with a disability (11 per cent), Aboriginal people (10 per cent), women (9 per cent), and 15-to 24-year-olds (5.4 per cent).
That growth has contributed to an overall increase in publicly funded enrolments, which grew from about 130,000 in 2016 to a new record high of about 165,000 in 2024.
Of the qualifications available through the initiative, the largest percentage growth in enrolments for 2024 was in building and construction, with a massive 263 per cent increase in Certificate IV in Building and Construction enrolments.
Care sector qualifications meanwhile made up the top three fee-free full qualification enrolments in 2024, with Certificate III in Individual Support topping the list with 5,225 enrolments.
The Cook Labor Government is continuing to support Fee-Free TAFE, with a further 2,140 Fee-Free TAFE places in housing and construction in WA announced in November.
Through this partnership with the Albanese Labor Government, seven more building and construction courses were added to the Fee-Free TAFE list for 2025, taking the number of fee-free construction courses in the sector to 17.
As part of its Made in WA plan, the Cook Labor Government has also committed to invest a further $58 million in new Fee-Free TAFE courses and apprenticeship supports for WA's in-demand building and construction workforce.
Fee-free courses are continuing to prove popular, with early data already showing more than 25,000 enrolments by students this year.
For more information, head to: https://www.jobsandskills.wa.gov.au/skillsready .
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"Fee-Free TAFE is a critical part of our plan to keep Western Australia the strongest economy in the nation.
"Not only does it provide affordable, career pathways for young Western Australians, Fee-Free TAFE provides a pipeline of skilled workers for industry.
"Fee-Free TAFE is also critical to ensuring government has the skilled workers we need to build more houses, but also to delivering the workers we need to both build and work in our hospitals.
"We've already made construction training courses free so that we can build the houses we need to support our State's booming economy, and by expanding and investing in TAFE, we will continue to create jobs where they will be most needed.
"That means supporting a future that is made in WA with new facilities that will train our emerging defence, manufacturing and clean energy workforce.
"We have worked with Western Australians to create the nation's strongest economy.
"Under our government, we will continue to build on our record and create the jobs we need to continue thriving."
As stated by Skills and TAFE Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"Our government has a proud record of investing in TAFEs and growing our State's workforce.
"By working with the Commonwealth Government, we have made building courses affordable - and directly supported our State's construction workforce.
"That means we now have more workers to help build the houses we need, quicker.
"Now, with our State on the precipice of becoming a clean energy superpower, we will build on that record.
"This includes investing millions of dollars in new and improved facilities, including upgrades to South Metropolitan's Munster TAFE campus to help grow WA's clean energy workforce."
