Vocational Training in Australia

Vocational Training in Australia enables you to take your first step into the field of tertiary education and prepares you to move into the workforce straight.

Australian Vocational training is provided by the government as well as private industries.

The training that is offered by the government is referred to as TAFE- Technical and Further Education institutions.

TAFE is supported by both state and federal Australian government.

The role of the government is to give funds, development of policies, and to contribute to the quality assurance and regulation of the institution.

The private industries contribute to the policies and priorities of training and in the development of qualifications delivering skills to the labor.

See also – What Is Vocational Training

Features of Australian Vocational Training

• Expert Teaching and Guidance – Australian government employs the best professionals for Vocational training who have mastered the course and have thorough practical and theoretical knowledge. The staff is not only aware of the industry but, is also experienced in the field.
• Practical Knowledge – many vocational training courses comprise of field study and on-site training. As a result, the students get first-hand information and genuine experience in the work environment. The practical aspects of these courses ensure that the candidate is fully prepared for further employment
• Quality Assurance – Australian government and industries guarantee quality education and take care of the quality of the educational experience, the well-being of all students, and establishing accurate and up-to-date information under the ESOS Act (Education Services for Overseas Students). Now, more than 1.2 million students are enrolled in vocational education and training including about 0.23 million international students.

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Courses offered & qualifications

The qualifications offered by Vocational Training in Australia are as follows:

1. Certificate I – IV: This course offers introductory training and skills, industry-specific knowledge, literacy and numeracy, teamwork and knowledge and skills in communication. The duration of the course varies from six months to two years.

2. Diploma: VET provides diploma courses for students to prepare them for paraprofessional careers, enterprise, and industry. The duration of the course involves one to two years of education.

3. Advanced diploma: The advanced diploma course of VET offers higher levels of practical skills for paraprofessional work or advanced skilled work in areas like engineering, building design, and accounting. Some of these courses are as high as university level for one and a half to two years.

4. Vocational graduate diploma or certificate: this course corresponds to the higher education graduation diploma or certificate. They also offer a high level of skills and knowledge related to vocational employment. The certificate course usually takes six months to one year of study for completion, while the graduate diploma mostly takes one to two years of education for completion.

5. English language courses: Vocational institutions also offer English language courses. The duration of the courses varies in length from over four to 48 weeks. For further information about English courses in Australia,

Top 10 Vocational Training Courses in Australia

The top 10 courses (order is alphabetic and not by popularity):

• Accounting
• Beauty Therapy
• Business Administration
• Computer Science
• Fitness
• Graphic Design
• Hairdressing
• Human Resources
• Marketing
• Tourism

Read – Top 22 High Paying Jobs That Don’t Require Bachelor’s Degrees

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Difference between Higher Education and Vocational Courses

VET courses in Australia, traditionally focus more on giving practical knowledge and work-oriented employment skills, on the other hand, higher education or universities mainly focus on giving theoretical knowledge and professional career.

VET provides training inexperience in the following fields:

• Basic life expertise including numeracy, literacy training, pre-vocational training, and foundation studies.
• Basic professional skills for specific occupations like automotive and language.
• Semi-professional skills and vocational training. This comprises of business advertising, occupational safety, healthcare, etc.
• Practical study areas with an applied focus. It includes music, viticulture, hospitality, etc.

Pathways for Higher education

Vocational Education and Training courses in Australia at all levels (certificate, diploma and advanced diploma) offer many pathways to students for higher education.

It not only helps students meet eligibility requirements for higher courses but, also provides credit.

For example, diploma graduate students receive a credit of two to three semesters.

The amount of credit granted usually depends upon the institution, the course, and the qualification.

Average Cost of Tuition

Different courses demand different tuition courses, but generally, they lie between AUD $4,000 annually up to $25,000.

There are some higher-level courses (certificate or diploma courses) that may ask for higher tuition fees.

For further information, you can view the Australian Government’s site on vocational studies.

The fees of the courses usually depend upon the type, of course, the institution offering the course, and the location of the institution.

VET Approved Education Providers

The following table contains all the educational institutions in Australia which are VET approved:

State	Approved Provider
New South Wales	Alphacrucis College
	Australasian College for Natural Therapies
	Avondale College
	Bankstown College of TAFE
	Blue Mountains
	Granville College of TAFE
	International Film School
	JB Hunter Technology
	JMC Academy
	Meadowbank College Of TAFE
	Morling College
	SAE QANTM Creative Media Institute
	Sutherland College of TAFE Loftus Campus
	Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine
	Sydney Missionary & Bible College
	TAFE NSW - Sydney Institute
	TAFE NSW - Western Sydney Institute
Queensland	A.I.C. College of Art & English
	Aviation Australia
	Box Hill Institute
	Brisbane College of Theology - Trinity Campus
	Central Queensland Institute of TAFE
	Crossway College
	Endeavour College of Natural Health
	Northpoint Institute of TAFE
	Nazarene Theological College
South Australia	Australian Institute of Business Administration
	Tabor College
Tasmania	Australian Maritime College
Victoria	Bible College of Victoria
	Chisholm Institute of TAFE
	JMC Academy
Western Australia	Central Institute of Technology
	Central Metropolitan College of TAFE
	Central West College of TAFE
	Challenger Institute of Technology
	South-East Metropolitan College
	West Coast College of TAFE

Eligibility for VET

VET institutions consider those students who have a minimum education of Australian Class 10^th, 11^th or 12^th.

However, there are some courses that require additional prerequisite subjects, courses, or work experience, whereas some courses like arts and design demand submission of the portfolio of the candidate.

Therefore, before applying the students must confirm with the organization about the additional eligibility requirements before applying, along with the tuition fees, duration of the course and the date of the beginning of classes.