Technical and Further Education
Encyclopedia
In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, training and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System
National Training System (Australia)
The National Training System is the Australian system for vocational education and training under the Australian Quality Training Framework , in which employers, the States of Australia, and the Commonwealth Government, formalise a curriculum available for Registered Training Organisations to...

/Australian Qualifications Framework
Australian Qualifications Framework
The Australian Qualifications Framework provides the hierarchy of educational qualifications in Australia. It is administered nationally by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Few qualifications outside the system are accepted by employers or for...

/Australian Quality Training Framework. Fields covered include business, finance, hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, visual arts, information technology 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
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...

 governments. This is in contrast to the higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

 sector, whose funding is predominantly the domain of the Commonwealth government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...

 and whose universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 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
Australian Qualifications Framework
The Australian Qualifications Framework provides the hierarchy of educational qualifications in Australia. It is administered nationally by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Few qualifications outside the system are accepted by employers or for...

. In many instances TAFE study can be used as partial credit towards Bachelor degree-level university programs.

From 2002 the TAFE education sector has been able to offer Bachelor degrees and post-graduate diploma courses to fill niche areas, particularly vocationally focused areas of study based on industry needs. As at June 2009 10 TAFE colleges (mainly in Victoria, but also Western Australia, ACT, and Queensland) now confer their own degree-level awards and post graduate diplomas, though not beyond the level of Bachelor degree. (See for example Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It has six city campuses located at Preston, Collingwood, Epping, Fairfield, Greensborough, Heidelberg, a country campus at Ararat, and country training facilities at Eden...

) 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
Tertiary education fees in Australia
As a general rule, all students who attend Australian tertiary education institutions are charged higher education fees. However, several measures are in place to relieve the costs of tertiary education in Australia....

, known as HECS loans, but may access a FEE-HELP loan scheme. 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).

TAFEs in some states can also teach senior high school qualifications, like the VCE
Victorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...

 and the Higher School Certificate. Some universities, e.g. Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University is an Australian public university with about 20,000 students in 2007.The University offers a wide range of Higher Education degrees and Vocational Education and Training courses with flexible study options, including part-time, external and online.CDU has campuses in the...

 and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....

, 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 courses provide students an opportunity for certificate, diploma, and advanced diploma qualifications in a wide range of areas.

Links to immigration outcomes

Taking TAFE courses may entitle the trainee to be eligible for the skilled immigration program of Australia
Immigration to Australia
Immigration to Australia is estimated to have begun around 51,000 years ago when the ancestors of Australian Aborigines arrived on the continent via the islands of the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea. Europeans first landed in the 17th and 18th Centuries, but colonisation only started in 1788. The...

.

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 covering a wide range of subjects.

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 Trade and Technician Skills Institute
Trade and Technician Skills Institute
SkillsTech Australia is the lead TAFE institute in Queensland in the delivery of trade and technician training. It was created in July 2006 as part of the implementation of the Queensland Government's Queensland Skills Plan....

 in Brisbane, (from 1 July 2006), specialises in automotive, building and construction, manufacturing and engineering, and electrical/electronic studies for students throughout Queensland. Or the William Angliss Institute of TAFE
William Angliss Institute of TAFE
William Angliss Institute of TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the Melbourne CBD, Victoria, Australia providing a specialist centre for training and vocational education in Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts...

 in Melbourne which specialises in food, hospitality and tourism courses for Victoria.

Australian Capital Territory

In the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

 these include:
  • Canberra Institute of Technology
    Canberra Institute of Technology
    The Canberra Institute of Technology is a vocational education provider in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, and is one of a system of TAFEs. Qualifications offered by CIT range from certificate to degree level. CIT has four campuses across Canberra, located in Bruce, Reid, Phillip and...


New South Wales

There are ten TAFE NSW
TAFE NSW
TAFE NSW is Australia's largest vocational education and training provider. Annually, the network trains over 400,000 people in campus, workplace, online, or distance education methods of education....

 Institutes in NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 which include:
  • Hunter Institute
    Hunter Institute of TAFE
    TAFE NSW - Hunter Institute has 15 campuses located in the Hunter and Central Coast regions. Its former names include Hunter Institute of TAFE and Hunter Institute of Technology.-External links:*...

  • Illawarra Institute
  • New England Institute
  • North Coast Institute
    North Coast Institute of TAFE
    The North Coast Institute of TAFE is set on the New South Wales north coast, with a large student population of approximately 40,000. It has 17 different campus locations, stretching from Forster in the south to Kingscliff, near the Queensland border....

  • Northern Sydney Institute
    Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE
    The Northern Sydney Institute is the TAFE NSW Institute servicing the northern suburbs of Sydney. The institute comprises seven colleges.-Colleges:*Bradfield Senior College*Crows Nest College*Hornsby College*Meadowbank College*North Sydney College...

  • Riverina Institute
  • South Western Sydney Institute
    South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE
    South Western Sydney Institute is a TAFE NSW Institute in Sydney, New South Wales. Each year, more than 79,000 students enrol at colleges in the Institute, with approximately 2,000 students each semester studying in overseas locations...

  • Sydney Institute
  • Western Institute
    Western Institute of TAFE
    The Western Institute of TAFE is the TAFE NSW Institute servicing the Western region of NSW, Australia. The Institute is a Registered Training Organisation with ISO 9001:2000 certification. The Institute services more than half the area of NSW, including some of Australia's most isolated and...

  • Western Sydney Institute
    Western Sydney Institute of TAFE
    TAFE NSW - Western Sydney Institute is a large complex decentralised educational institute and is one of the largest Institutes of TAFE NSW. The Institute annually enrolls more than 90,000 students and offers around 1,000 vocational education courses....

    , including OTEN
    OTEN
    The Open Training and Education Network, often abbreviated OTEN, is the distance education and training provider of TAFE NSW. Students may enrol from anywhere in Australia, while operationally the program is run by the Western Sydney Institute of TAFE. OTEN courses are delivered using a range of...


Northern Territory

In the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...

 these include:
  • Charles Darwin University
    Charles Darwin University
    Charles Darwin University is an Australian public university with about 20,000 students in 2007.The University offers a wide range of Higher Education degrees and Vocational Education and Training courses with flexible study options, including part-time, external and online.CDU has campuses in the...

  • Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
    Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
    Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education provides training and further education , and higher education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is based in Batchelor, Northern Territory in Australia...


Queensland

In Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

, TAFE Queensland includes:
  • Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE
    Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE
    The Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE is an international vocational college with two campuses in Townsville and six campuses spread over North Queensland, Australia...

  • Bremer Institute of TAFE
    The Bremer Institute of TAFE
    The Bremer Institute of TAFE has six campuses based around Ipswich. Campuses are located at Bundamba, Goodna, Ipswich, Inala, Springfield and Boonah.The Bremer is one of Australia's Technical and Further Education Institutes...

  • Brisbane North Institute of TAFE
    Brisbane North Institute of TAFE
    Brisbane North Institute of TAFE is a TAFE provider in Queensland, Australia..BNIT has campuses located at Bracken Ridge, Caboolture, Grovely, Ithaca , Redcliffe, and South Brisbane....

  • Central Queensland Institute of TAFE
  • Gold Coast Institute of TAFE
    Gold Coast Institute of TAFE
    The Gold Coast Institute of TAFE is a vocational college in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, Australia, with two campuses each in Southport and Coomera, and one each in Benowa and Coolangatta...

  • Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE
    Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE
    Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE is an amalgamation of regional and local TAFE campuses, partially subsidised and funded by the Queensland Government...

  • Mount Isa Institute of TAFE
  • SkillsTech Australia (Trade and Technician Skills Institute
    Trade and Technician Skills Institute
    SkillsTech Australia is the lead TAFE institute in Queensland in the delivery of trade and technician training. It was created in July 2006 as part of the implementation of the Queensland Government's Queensland Skills Plan....

    )
  • Southbank Institute of Technology
    Southbank Institute of Technology
    The Southbank Institute of Technology is the largest Technical and Further Education college in Queensland, Australia...

  • Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE
    Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE
    Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE (SQIT]] is an Australian vocational college for teaching Tertiary and Further Education. It covers a wide area, with campuses in Toowoomba, Roma, Warwick, Kingaroy, Dalby, Chinchilla,...

  • Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE
    Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE
    The Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE is the Sunshine Coast institute of the Technical and Further Education organization. Formerly known as the Cooloola Sunshine Institute of TAFE, the name was later changed to the Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE to reflect the actual location of the institute....

  • TAFE Open Learning
    TAFE Open Learning
    TAFE Open Learning is a single point of contact for customers seeking distance education. TAFE Open Learning is located in South Brisbane, Queensland....

  • Tropical North Queensland TAFE
    Tropical North Queensland TAFE
    Tropical North Queensland TAFE delivers vocational education and training programs across a 268,000 square kilometre area of north-eastern Australia....

  • Wide Bay Institute of TAFE

South Australia

In South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

, TAFE SA includes:
  • TAFE SA Adelaide North
  • TAFE SA Adelaide South
  • TAFE SA Regional

Tasmania

In Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

, there are two government TAFE organisations:
  • TAFE Tasmania
    TAFE Tasmania
    TAFE Tasmania was an Australian tertiary body of the Australian state-based Technical and Further Education system. It included two institutes, the Institute of TAFE Tasmania and the Drysdale Institute....

     includes:
    • Institute of TAFE Tasmania (general) http://www.tafe.tas.edu.au/institute/campuses.htm
    • Drysdale Institute (for tourism
      Tourism
      Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...

       and hospitality
      Hospitality
      Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...

      ) http://www.tafe.tas.edu.au/TAFEAPP.ASP?WCI=SigList&id=11
  • Australian Maritime College TAFE
    Australian Maritime College
    The Australian Maritime College is a tertiary education institution based in Launceston, Tasmania and is an institute of the University of Tasmania. AMC is Australia's national centre for maritime education, training and research...

     (maritime studies)

Victoria

In Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 these include:
  • Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE
    Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE
    Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE is a regional provider of vocational education, training and assessment services, located in northern and central Victoria, Australia...

     (Local: Bendigo-Echuca)
  • Box Hill Institute of TAFE
    Box Hill Institute of TAFE
    Box Hill Institute is a secondary and tertiary education institute based in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, with additional campuses overseas...

     (Local: Eastern Melbourne)
  • Chisholm Institute
    Chisholm Institute
    Chisholm Institute is a Technical and Further Education Institute located in the south-east Melbourne and Westernport Bay areas in Australia. It provides adult education in a number of areas including the arts and humanities, hospitality, information technology, mechanics and business...

     (Local: South East Melbourne)
  • East Gippsland Institute of TAFE
    East Gippsland Institute of TAFE
    Advance TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the East Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. It has campuses located at Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance, Sale, and outreach centres located in the small towns of Buchan, Heyfield, Mallacoota, Orbost, Swifts Creek and Yarram.A wide selection of study...

     (Local: East Gippsland)
  • Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE
    Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE
    Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE, also known as GippsTAFE, is a TAFE institute located in the Latrobe Valley, Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia...

     (Local: West and South Gippsland and Chadstone (specialist high-voltage electrical))
  • Gordon Institute of TAFE
    Gordon Institute of TAFE
    The Gordon Institute of TAFE is the TAFE institute servicing Geelong since 1888. It has 26,000 students studying on-campus, off-campus and in business or industry ....

     (Local: Geelong)
  • Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE
    Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE
    Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, also known as GOTAFE, is a Technical and Further Education institute located in the north east region of Victoria, Australia based on the Goulburn and Ovens rivers, and is the largest regional TAFE in Victoria, and a specialist centre for food processing, equine...

     (Local: North East Victoria)
  • Holmesglen Institute of TAFE
    Holmesglen Institute of TAFE
    Holmesglen Institute of Technical And Further Education is a tertiary level training institute situated in the South-Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.-History:...

     (Local: Eastern Melbourne)
  • Kangan Institute
    Kangan Batman TAFE
    Kangan Institute is a Technical and Further Education provider located over a number of campuses in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It specialises in the automotive, aerospace, polymer and transport industries.- History :...

     (Local: North West Melbourne, Specialist: Automotive)
  • Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
    Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
    Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It has six city campuses located at Preston, Collingwood, Epping, Fairfield, Greensborough, Heidelberg, a country campus at Ararat, and country training facilities at Eden...

     (Local: North East Melbourne (Specialist: Primary Industry Sector))
  • RMIT University
    RMIT University
    RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....

     (Specialist: Graphics, Printing, Textiles)
  • South West Institute of TAFE (Local: Western District)
  • Sunraysia Institute of TAFE
    Sunraysia Institute of TAFE
    The Sunraysia Institute of TAFE is the TAFE institute servicing Mildura, Victoria since 1979.About the InstituteSunraysia Institute of TAFE is the largest provider of vocational education and training services in North West Victoria, Australia...

     (Local: North West Victoria)
  • Swinburne University of Technology
    Swinburne University of Technology
    Swinburne University of Technology is an Australian public dual sector university based in Melbourne, Victoria. The institution was founded by the Honourable George Swinburne in 1908 and achieved university status in June 1992...

     (Local: Eastern Melbourne)
  • University of Ballarat
    University of Ballarat
    The University of Ballarat is a dual-sector university in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It was formed by the passage of an Act of the Victorian Parliament in 1994, from the Ballarat College of Advanced Education...

     (Local: Ballarat-Wimmera)
  • Victoria University (Local: Western Melbourne)
  • William Angliss Institute of TAFE
    William Angliss Institute of TAFE
    William Angliss Institute of TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the Melbourne CBD, Victoria, Australia providing a specialist centre for training and vocational education in Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts...

     (Specialist: Hospitality)
  • Wodonga Institute of TAFE (Local: Wodonga)
  • The University of Melbourne
    University of Melbourne
    The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...

     discontinued its TAFE arm (which specialised in agriculture and forestry) at the start of 2007.
  • DECA
    Deca
    Deca- or deka- is a prefix in the metric system, also a numerical prefix, denoting a factor of ten. The term is derived from the Greek δέκα meaning "ten". Its symbol is the only SI prefix that uses more than one character....

     (Driver Education Centre of Australia) is also classed as a TAFE Institute and specialises in vehicle training.
  • KAL Multimedia Training (Local: MElbourne metra)

Western Australia

In Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

 TAFEWA includes:
  • Central Institute of Technology
    Central Institute of Technology
    Central Institute of Technology is a Technical and Further Education institution based in Perth, Western Australia. It is the equal oldest post-secondary educational institution in Western Australia, the largest TAFE institution in Perth, and one of the largest in Australia...

     (Formerly Central TAFE)
  • Challenger Institute of Technology
    Challenger Institute of Technology
    Challenger Institute of Technology is a Technical and Further Education institution based in Fremantle, Western Australia.Over 140 careers are offered through a wide range of courses catering to different industry training areas...

     (Formerly Challenger TAFE)
  • Polytechnic West (Formerly Swan TAFE)
  • West Coast Institute of Training
    West Coast Institute of Training
    West Coast Institute of Training is the TAFE institute servicing the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia...

     (Formerly West Coast TAFE)
  • Durack Institute of technology Durack Institute of Technology
  • C. Y. O'Connor College of TAFE
    C. Y. O'Connor College of TAFE
    C. Y. O'Connor College of TAFE, established in July 1994, is the TAFE institute servicing the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. The institute is based in the town of Northam east of the state capital, Perth. It was named for engineer C. Y...

  • 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
    Curtin University of Technology
    Curtin University is an Australian university based in Perth, Western Australia, with additional campuses in regional Western Australia and at Miri , Sydney and Singapore...


See also

  • Education in Australia
    Education in Australia
    Education in Australia is primarily the responsibility of the states and territories. Each state or territory government provides funding and regulates the public and private schools within its governing area. The federal government helps fund the public universities, but is not involved in setting...

  • Further education
    Further education
    Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...

  • Registered Training Organisation
    Registered training organisation
    A registered training organisation in Australia, is a vocational education organisation that provides students with training that results in qualifications and statements of attainment that are recognised and accepted by industry and other educational institutions throughout Australia.Registered...

    s
  • Vocational education
    Vocational education
    Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...

  • :Category:TAFE

State and territory TAFE websites


Vocational education and training (VET)


Career guidance


TAFE union sites

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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