Thousands of Victorian high school leavers are currently considering Free TAFE courses alongside university offers as a pathway to rewarding future careers, thanks to the Allan Labor Government.

Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney congratulated the thousands of Victorian graduates who this week received a second-round Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) offer for their preferred TAFE or university course, noting four more rounds to come for those who are still awaiting results.

More than 14,400 VTAC second round offers have been made to students for vocational and undergraduate courses in round two. Beyond this figure, many more Victorian students are also currently applying directly to TAFEs outside of the VTAC offer process.

This includes many courses funded through Victoria’s Free TAFE program, which helps Victorians access more than 80 Free TAFE qualifications and short courses for free, no matter their existing qualification level. The program allows thousands of students to enter an in-demand career without the worry of the cost of tuition fees.

Alongside Free TAFE, the Labor Government is supporting Victorians to study to become a secondary school teacher for free, with scholarships covering the cost of degrees to help boost our school workforce and support hardworking teachers.

The Labor Government also made university and specialist training free for thousands of nurses and midwives – with new domestic students enrolling in a professional-entry nursing or midwifery course in 2024 to receive a scholarship of up to $16,500 to cover course costs, with the scheme’s first intake in 2023 proving a great success.

Students with pending VTAC offers can await their results until the upcoming offer rounds on 30 January, 6 February, 13 February or 20 February, or choose to change their preferences, provided they meet course requirements.

In addition to the Free TAFE courses the Allan Labor Government has delivered since 2019, we are working closely with the Albanese Labor Government to open an extra 300,000 Free TAFE and vocational education places, available nationally from January 2024.

Since the Free TAFE program was introduced in 2019, more than 156,500 students have saved almost $423 million in tuition fees – reducing barriers to training for the jobs most in demand, helping Victorians to get the skills they need to begin a rewarding career that makes a difference.

For the full list of Free TAFE courses, visit vic.gov.au/free-tafe.