Four new courses in hospitality, youth work, kitchen management and tourism are now available through the Allan Labor Government's Free TAFE initiative, giving Victorians more opportunities to learn new skills and grow their careers.
Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney today encouraged prospective students to look at courses on offer through Free TAFE, providing Victorians with more access to vocational training.
Since the program was introduced in 2019 it has grown to include more than 80 TAFE qualifications and short courses. This has helped more than 156,000 students who have saved almost $423 million in tuition fees since the program began.
The program has seen thousands of Victorians embark on a new career pathway - including a quarter of all Free TAFE students based in regional Victoria, more than 44,500 from multicultural backgrounds and more than 90,000 women.
With enrolments now open, students can kickstart their careers or upskill to gain new experience or qualifications across a range of sectors like nursing, building and construction, community services and cyber security.
The Free TAFE program is helping Victorians get the skills they need for the job they want, including in growth areas like clean energy, building the state's future workforce as we transition to net-zero.
The Labor Government is also backing the development of new clean energy skills and courses through the $50 million Clean Energy Fund, including projects at Federation TAFE in Ballarat, TAFE Gippsland in Morwell and South West TAFE in Warrnambool.
Free TAFE courses are available to all Victorians, regardless of their existing qualification level. The program allows thousands of students to enter an in-demand career without the worry of the cost of tuition fees. Students can also enrol in more than one Free TAFE course provided it's within the same priority pathway.
The Victorian Budget 2023/24 invested more than $543 million in TAFE to help more Victorians get the skills they need with more subsidised courses and improved facilities, including funding for new TAFE campuses in Melton and Sunbury so more students can study closer to home.
Victoria's TAFE network is a vital part of our state's education system, helping students become job-ready faster and providing the skills we need to grow our economy.
For the full list of Free TAFE courses visit: vic.gov.au/free-tafe.
As stated by Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney
"Our TAFE network is at the heart of vocational education in Victoria, and through initiatives like Free TAFE we're making sure more students can gain skills in in-demand careers including clean energy and housing."
"Vocational study is important to our society and future - this program gives more Victorians opportunities to access high quality training in the industry that they love."
