Australian Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes are government-owned providers of VET courses.
International students attend TAFE institutes to complete courses that range from certificate to postgraduate level. For more information, visit the Vocational Education and Training section. It mainly provides students with a variety of vocational higher education courses, covering hundreds of subjects such as commerce, IT, nursing, chef, visual arts and so on. TAFE’s courses can be directly linked to the bachelor’s courses of Australian universities, which is a way to help students succeed in the university. At the same time, TAFE also provides students with high-quality, and high-level vocational skills training, so that students graduate with a professional level of vocational skills. VET courses are also offered by private Registered Training Organizations (RTOs), typically known as private colleges, but many students choose to study VET courses through TAFE institutes because of the additional security they provide as government-owned education providers. Some Australian universities also operate a TAFE division and offer VET courses in addition to higher education courses.
TAFE courses at the certificate IV, diploma and advanced diploma level can provide students with a pathway into the higher education sector. In addition to helping students meet entry requirements, TAFE courses can also provide credit towards some higher education courses. For example, students who graduate with a diploma may receive up to two or three semesters of credit towards a related bachelor degree. The exact amount of credit granted depends on the institution, the degree and the TAFE qualification completed. It is important to check pathways and credit arrangements with institutions. It is also becoming increasingly common for higher education graduates to complete TAFE qualifications in order to gain practical, work-orientated skills to assist them to enter the workforce.
Since 2002, the TAFE Education Department has been offering bachelor’s degree programs. As of June 2009, 10 TAFE colleges (mainly in New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia, ACT and Queensland) now award their own degree-level scholarships and postgraduate diplomas, but initially no more than a bachelor’s degree.
However, Melbourne Institute of Technology has been accredited in 2015, offering two master’s degree courses. Similarly, some universities, such as Charles Darwin University and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology offer vocational education courses (traditionally in the field of TAFE). These are funded by local state and regional governments. Some high schools also offer TAFE development and certification courses.
International students enrol in Australian TAFE institutes to:
- Improve their chances of being accepted into higher education courses
- Gain practical, work-based skills to improve their employment prospects
- Take advantage of the wide variety of courses on offer
- Enjoy the individual attention that the typically small class sizes allow