Life in Australia Guide

VET (Vocational Education and Training) teaches practical skills and qualifications that apply directly to a specific job. It is shorter than a degree (usually six months to two years), costs less, and is centred on hands-on practice.

• TAFE (Technical and Further Education): public vocational education institutions run by each state government, and the leading providers of VET (for example, TAFE NSW, TAFE Queensland and others).
• RTO (Registered Training Organisation): any training provider registered with the government to issue VET qualifications, including TAFEs. There are also many private RTOs.
• AQF (Australian Qualifications Framework): Australia's national qualifications system, which defines levels from Certificate up to degree and doctorate against a unified standard.

Almost every practical occupation — nursing support, cooking, baking, beauty, welding, electrical, construction, childcare, aged care, IT, accounting, logistics and more — has a VET qualification pathway.

VET qualifications rise in the order below, with more specialised roles the higher you go. The level you need is set by your occupation.

• Certificate I & II: entry level. Basic skills and job-readiness. Usually a course of a few months.
• Certificate III: the core level of Australian vocational training. In many occupations it is the benchmark for being 'qualified to work', and it is often linked to apprenticeships and traineeships.
• Certificate IV: one step above Certificate III. Supervisory and specialist work.
• Diploma: prepares you for a paraprofessional role more specialised than Certificate IV. Often used as a stepping stone to transfer into a degree.
• Advanced Diploma: a higher level than the Diploma, corresponding to advanced management and technical roles.

For example, childcare is usually Certificate III, nursing support is Certificate III, and accounting and business-support roles commonly require a Diploma. Confirm the exact qualification required from job advertisements or the relevant industry body.

Free TAFE is a program run jointly by the federal government and the states and territories since 1 January 2024, operating under the National Skills Agreement. Under the Free TAFE legislation passed in 2025, it has become a permanent scheme providing at least 100,000 free places every year from 2027.

• Priority groups: people who are out of work or on income support, young people aged 17–24, carers, women facing economic hardship, women entering non-traditional fields, people with disability, some visa holders, First Nations Australians and other groups facing barriers to education.
• Fields: focused on priority industries with workforce shortages — construction and housing, care and welfare, clean energy and net zero, digital and technology, food and security, and more.
• Note: 'free' usually means tuition; some costs such as textbooks, materials and student services fees may be separate.

Whether you are eligible and which courses are included in Free TAFE vary from state to state, so check with the TAFE in your state and at yourcareer.gov.au/fee-free-tafe.

Eligibility to enrol in VET and the fees you pay vary greatly depending on your visa type. Broadly, they break down as follows (it depends on your individual circumstances, so always confirm with the provider).

• Citizens and permanent residents (PR): may be eligible for state-subsidised courses and Free TAFE (you must also meet other eligibility requirements).
• Some temporary and humanitarian visa holders: certain visas (for example, some humanitarian, family or bridging visas) may be included in subsidised courses or Free TAFE. The scope of eligibility varies by state.
• Student visa (subclass 500): you can only enrol in CRICOS-registered courses, and usually pay full fees. You are not eligible for Free TAFE or state subsidies.
• Working Holiday and other temporary visas: study may be possible but is generally self-funded without a subsidy, and there may be study-hour limits depending on the visa.