Technical and Further Education

Technical and Further Education or TAFE (pronounced [tæɪf] ) institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses in Australia. Fields covered include hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, secretarial skills, visual arts, computer programming and community work.

Individual TAFE institutions (usually with many campuses) are known as either colleges or institutes, depending on the state or territory. TAFE colleges are owned, operated and financed by the various State and Territory Governments. This is in contrast to the higher education sector, whose funding is predominantly the domain of the Commonwealth government and whose universities are predominantly owned by the state governments.

Qualifications awarded by TAFE colleges

TAFE colleges generally award qualifications up to the level of advanced diploma, which is below that of Bachelor degree within the Australian Qualifications Framework.

In many instances TAFE study can be used as partial credit towards Bachelor degree-level university programs. Some TAFE colleges (primarily in Victoria and the ACT) now confer their own degree-level awards, though not beyond the level of Bachelor; this practice is somewhat controversial due to the blurring of once clearly defined boundaries between sectors.

Students who enrol in these undergraduate degree courses at TAFE are required to pay full fees and are not entitled to Commonwealth Government supported student fee loans. While Universities have the ability and power to design and offer their own degree courses, each TAFE degree course must be assessed and approved by the Higher Education Accreditation Committee (HEAC). [" [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/07/24/1027332400427.html TAFE gears up to offer degrees] " By Rebecca Scott, The Age July 24 2002. Accessed August 3 2008]

TAFEs in some states can also teach senior high school qualifications, like the VCE. Some universities, e.g. Charles Darwin University and RMIT University, offer TAFE courses; these are funded by the local state and territory governments. Some High Schools also deliver courses developed and accredited by TAFEs.

Some private institutions also offer courses from TAFEs, however they more commonly offer other vocational education and training courses.

Note that many Australians refer to all sub-degree courses as 'TAFE' courses, no matter what institution creates or delivers the course. Before the 1990s, the TAFEs had a near monopoly in the sector.

TAFE colleges by state/territory

In most cases, TAFE campuses are grouped into TAFE institutions along geographic lines. Most TAFEs are given a locally recognised region of the country where they exclusively operate. Most TAFEs institutions cover a wide range of subjects, however a few TAFEs specialise in a single area of study. These are usually found near the middle of the capital cities, and service the whole state or territory. For example, the [http://ttsi.tafe.qld.gov.au/ Trade and Technician Skills Institute] (from 1 July 2006), when fully operational will specialise in automotive, building and construction, manufacturing and engineering, and electrical/electronic studies throughout Queensland.

Australian Capital Territory

In the Australian Capital Territory these include:
* Canberra Institute of Technology

New South Wales

There are ten TAFE NSW Institutes in NSW which include:
*Hunter Institute
*Illawarra Institute
*New England Institute
*North Coast Institute
*Northern Sydney Institute
*Riverina Institute
*South Western Sydney Institute
*Sydney Institute
*Western Institute
*Western Sydney Institute, including OTEN

Northern Territory

In the Northern Territory these include:
* Charles Darwin University
* Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

Queensland

In Queensland, "TAFE Queensland" includes:
* Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE
* Bremer Institute of TAFE
* Brisbane North Institute of TAFE
* Central Queensland Institute of TAFE
* Gold Coast Institute of TAFE
* Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE
* Mt Isa Institute of TAFE
* SkillsTech Australia (Trade and Technician Skills Institute)
* Southbank Institute of Technology
* Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE
* Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE
* TAFE Open Learning
* Tropical North Queensland TAFE
* Wide Bay Institute of TAFE

outh Australia

In South Australia, TAFE SA includes:

* TAFE SA Adelaide North
* TAFE SA Adelaide South
* TAFE SA Regional

Tasmania

In Tasmania, there are two government TAFE organisations:

*TAFE Tasmania includes:
** Institute of TAFE Tasmania (general) [http://www.tafe.tas.edu.au/institute/campuses.htm]
** Drysdale Institute (for tourism and hospitality) [http://www.tafe.tas.edu.au/TAFEAPP.ASP?WCI=SigList&id=11]
*Australian Maritime College TAFE (maritime studies)

Victoria

In Victoria these include:
* Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE (Local: Bendigo-Echuca)
* Box Hill Institute (Local: Eastern Melbourne)
* Chisholm Institute (Local: South East Melbourne)
* East Gippsland Institute of TAFE (Local: East Gippsland)
* GippsTAFE (Local: West and South Gippsland)
* Gordon Institute of TAFE (Local: Geelong)
* Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE (Local: North East Victoria)
* Holmesglen Institute of TAFE (Local: Eastern Melbourne)
* Kangan Batman TAFE (Local: North West Melbourne, Specialist: Automotive)
* Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (Local: North East Melbourne)
* RMIT University (Specialist: Graphics, Printing, Textiles)
* South West Institute of TAFE (Local: Western District)
* Sunraysia Institute of TAFE (Local: North West Victoria)
* Swinburne University of Technology (Local: Eastern Melbourne)
* University of Ballarat (Local: Ballarat-Wimmera)
* Victoria University (Local: Western Melbourne)
* William Angliss Institute of TAFE (Specialist: Hospitality)
* Wodonga Institute of TAFE (Local: Wodonga)
* The University of Melbourne discontinued its TAFE arm (which specialised in agriculture and forestry) at the start of 2007.

Western Australia

In Western Australia TAFEWA includes:

*Central TAFE
*Challenger TAFE
*Swan TAFE
*West Coast TAFE
*Central West TAFE
*C.Y. O'Connor College of TAFE
*Great Southern TAFE
*Kimberley TAFE
*Pilbara TAFE
*South West Regional College of TAFE
*Curtin Vocational Training and Education Centre (Curtin VTEC) at Curtin University of Technology
*Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts(WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University

Central TAFECentral TAFE provides a diverse range of training to more than 25,000 people each year. It offers around 380 fully accredited courses from certificate to advanced diploma level. Central TAFE’s eight campuses in Perth, East Perth, Mount Lawley, Leederville, Wembley, Subiaco, Fremantle and Nedlands are all conveniently located in near city locations and close to public transport. All courses have strong applications to industry and excellent employment prospects.

Challenger TAFEEach year 25,000 students choose Challenger TAFE as their preferred place of learning. Challenger has 11 industry training centres and two specialist training and support centres offering nationally-recognised courses across a wide range of disciplines and specialisations. Courses are developed and endorsed by industry, so you’ll learn skills that are both practical and relevant to today’s workplace. Challenger TAFE emphasises the importance of diverse and rewarding career pathways for students, so whatever course you choose, it can lead to a job in industry, further study at TAFEWA or articulation into certain university courses.

Swan TAFESwan TAFE has campuses from Armadale, Thornlie, Bentley and Carlisle through to Midland and Balga. Each year more than 30,000 Swan TAFE students benefit by gaining real hands-on skills from educators with industry expertise in addition to a solid theoretical foundation. Swan TAFE is the largest apprenticeship and traineeship training institution in WA and offers more than 300 full-time and part-time courses. The decision to study at Swan TAFE can open doors for you. Whether starting out on a career path, getting back into the workforce or building on existing skills and experience, Swan TAFE’s courses allow you to confidently pursue your career goals.

West Coast TAFE With 100 full-time and part-time courses leading to countless exciting career choices, it’s easy to see why West Coast TAFE is the firm favourite with about 20,000 students each year. A stylish, architectural complex set in a beautiful natural bush environment in Joondalup, West Coast TAFE’s training rooms are spacious and have modern computers and equipment. Other great facilities include a canteen, deli, restaurant, comprehensive library and activities for student recreation. The new, multi-million dollar West Coast Academy of Hospitality and Tourism is an industry leader and delivers training services based around a fully functioning restaurant, function centre, deli and beer and barista academies.

Central West TAFE Students at Central West TAFE are exposed to a diverse range of skills, doing everything from pulling apart huge engines, practising office skills in a simulated office environment, preparing artworks for exhibitions, cooking up a storm, breeding fish, winning competitions and working locally on projects which benefit the community. Central West TAFE is committed to meeting current and future education and training needs in the Mid West Gascoyne region. Its philosophy is about learning then living the lessons through experience. Central West TAFE caters to the needs of the region, offering students a wide range of study options from face to face in class through to online and distance study. It is a go-getting environment working with the industry, keeping pace with the employment market and looking to the future needs of the region.

C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE C.Y. O’Connor College of TAFE has approximately 4,000 students studying a variety of courses. It serves Western Australia’s wheatbelt region with major campuses at Northam, Moora, Merredin and Narrogin. It specialises in flexible delivery options to overcome the area’s vast distances including training through telecentres, externally and online. The college gives a high priority to workplace training including apprenticeships and traineeships, and works closely with local businesses and industry. The Narrogin campus offers hands-on, flexible training in wool technology through the Narrogin Campus, and operates a well-equipped automotive and trades workshop at Northam. The Moora campus is home to the Salmon Gum Community Conservation Nursery, an industry accredited nursery offering training in horticulture.

Curtin VTEC The Curtin Vocational Training and Education Centre (VTEC) offers a wide range of courses for more than 4,500 full-time and part-time students each year. VTEC has campuses at Kalgoorlie and Esperance with associated operations within the Goldfields/Esperance region. VTEC also offers the opportunity for articulation to university studies available through the Centre for Regional Education and WA School of Mines. The Kalgoorlie campus hosts Year 11 and 12 students from the Eastern Goldfields College, offering students a seamless transition to further education and training. (Note: Fees, charges and enrolment criteria may differ from those of TAFEWA.)

Great Southern TAFE Whether you’re looking into courses for the first time or continuing on your way to a certificate or diploma, Great Southern TAFE has the services, programs, professional staff and state of the art facilities to get you where you want to go. Any course completed at Great Southern TAFE can lead to a job, further training or, through the new Unilink program, to a place in selected universities across Australia. More than 5,000 students are enrolled at campuses in Albany, Denmark, Mount Barker and Katanning with training available in more than 180 courses from entry level through to advanced diploma. Specialist training is offered in a range of areas including music, wool harvesting, organic horticulture and multimedia. Located in one of Western Australia’s most spectacular regions, Great Southern TAFE has the services, programs, professional, friendly staff and state of the art facilities to get you where you want to go.

Kimberley TAFE Kimberley TAFE provides quality vocational education and training throughout the Kimberley region, with campuses in Kununurra, Wyndham, Halls Creek, Derby and Broome, plus an access centre in Fitzroy Crossing. It also has a purpose-built aquaculture centre in Broome. To meet the unique education and training needs of the region, Kimberley TAFE delivers courses in a range of industry areas including mining, pastoral, hospitality, tourism, aquaculture, horticulture, music and art. The college also supports businesses by delivering training to apprentices and trainees. In addition, Kimberley TAFE works in close consultation with communities to identify, develop and implement quality training that has a genuine impact on the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the region.

Pilbara TAFE Pilbara TAFE services an area of more than 500,000 square kilometres across the Pilbara. Its main campus is located in Karratha with regional campuses in South Hedland (South Hedland and Pundulmurra campuses), Roebourne (Minurmarghali Mia campus), Newman, Tom Price, Pannawonica, Onslow, Paraburdoo and Jigalong (Wintamarra Training Centre). Pilbara TAFE offers a wide range of full-time, part-time, online and flexible studies to more than 6,000 students each year. It has established strong community links and partnerships with local businesses, industries and other education and training institutions within the region. It prides itself on recognising the diverse learning, employment and cultural needs of its students.

South West Regional College of TAFESouth West Regional College of TAFE offers a broad range of training opportunities associated with region's diverse economic activity. It offers modern, purpose built training facilities and student amenities at its main campus in Bunbury, and provides programs through its regional centres in Busselton, Collie, Harvey, Margaret River and Manjimup. With the needs of the local community and the business fraternity playing a key role in determining the range of training programs offered, students have the opportunity to complete industry relevant qualifications at a college that has become the region's leading and most innovative training provider. The extensive industry experience of the lecturing staff consolidates the college's reputation of rendering graduates of an outstanding calibre with an excellent track record of employment outcomes.

ee also

*Education in Australia
*Registered Training Organisations
*Vocational education
*

References

External links

tate and Territory TAFE websites

* [http://www.tafe.nsw.edu.au TAFE NSW]
* [http://www.tafe.vic.gov.au TAFE Victoria]
** [http://www.vtac.edu.au/pdf/guide/tafecourses.pdf Victorian TAFE Courses ]
* [http://www.tafe.qld.gov.au TAFE QLD]
** [http://ttsi.tafe.qld.gov.au/ Trade and Technician Skills Institute]
* [http://www.tafe.sa.edu.au TAFE SA]
* [http://www.tafe.wa.edu.au TAFE WA]
* [http://www.tafe.tas.edu.au TAFE Tasmania]
* [http://www.cit.act.edu.au Canberra Institute of Technology]

VET

* [http://www.dest.gov.au/ Department of Education, Science and Training] (DEST)
* [http://www.ncver.edu.au/ National Centre for Vocational Education Research] (NCVER)
* [http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/ Australian Flexible Learning Framework] (FLX)
* [http://www.austafe.edu.au/ National Association of TAFE Managers] - (AUSTAFE Inc.)
* [http://www.ntis.gov.au/ National Training Information Service] (NTIS - database of VET providers and qualifications)

Career guidance

* [http://www.myfuture.edu.au Australian Government myfuture portal: career guide] Registration required

TAFE union sites

* [http://www.aeuvic.asn.au/campaigns/tafe_stop/ AEU Victoria - TAFE Teachers]
* [http://www.ourtafesmatter.com.au/ Our TAFEs Matter - NTEU]