Free TAFE Makes It Real for Hundreds of Thousands of Workers

The effect of free TAFE in Victoria can be found in the numbers, hundreds of thousands of Victorians have trained for in-demand jobs and rewarding careers without the cost of tuition fees.

Free TAFE has benefited more than 212,600 students in the state 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 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 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, Liberals sacked more than 2,000 TAFE teachers, shut 22 TAFE campuses and ripped $1 billion from TAFEs across Victoria, its revival has been a success.

Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney said, “Free TAFE is about removing barriers so every Victorian can get the skills they need without the cost holding them back”