Hundreds of thousands of Victorians have trained for in-demand jobs and rewarding careers without the cost of tuition fees, thanks to the Allan Labor Government's nation-leading Free TAFE program.
Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney today joined TAFE leaders and students at Parliament House to celebrate the successes of Free TAFE and launch a new government awareness campaign: Free TAFE Makes It REAL.
Free TAFE delivers real skills to real people to help get them real careers. The campaign will highlight real students and graduates, telling real stories about the impact Free TAFE has had on their lives.
Free TAFE has benefited more than 212,600 students in Victoria since it began in 2019. It has saved them $674 million in tuition fees - an average of $3,000 per course.
Free TAFE opens up opportunities for Victorians - reliable jobs, real pay rises and new career opportunities. Of those taking courses in 2024, 11 per cent were people with disability, 20 per cent were people experiencing unemployment and 59 per cent were women.
The Labor Government's investment is helping to create a pipeline of skilled workers - making sure industry has the talent it needs now and for the future in important areas like construction, the care sector and clean energy.
More than 80 Free TAFE qualifications and short courses are available across Victoria. All Victorians can upskill for in-demand jobs regardless of their existing qualification level and can study multiple Free TAFE courses within the same priority pathway.
Free TAFE has been a gamechanger for Victorians, who remember the carnage caused when the Liberals sacked more than 2,000 TAFE teachers, shut 22 TAFE campuses and ripped $1 billion from TAFEs across Victoria when they were last in Government.
The Labor Government saved TAFE in Victoria, rebuilt a crumbling vocational education sector - then made it better than it's ever been with Free TAFE.
To find out more about what's on offer at TAFE, free from tuition fees, visit www.vic.gov.au/free-tafe.
As stated by Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney
"Free TAFE is about removing barriers so every Victorian can get the skills they need without the cost holding them back - because we're on your side."
"We can't risk going back to the days when the Liberals cut thousands of teachers, closed campuses, and slashed funding. We rebuilt our TAFE sector and are making it stronger than ever with Free TAFE."
