Free TAFE for more Victorians

Get the skills you need, without the tuition fees

Skill up to get the job you want, thanks to the Victorian Government’s Free TAFE program.

You can now access more than 80 Free TAFE qualifications and short courses without the cost of tuition fees, even if you already hold a VET qualification or degree.

If you are eligible for Free TAFE, all your tuition fees will be covered by the Australian and Victorian governments. There may be additional fees associated with some courses. Please ask your preferred TAFE for specific information about additional costs, such as amenity fees, student services and any books or materials required for study.

In addition to the Free TAFE courses the Victorian Government has provided since 2019, the Australian Government has announced 5,200 new Fee-Free TAFE places will be available to Victorians from January 2025, including up to 1,300 pre-apprenticeship places.

With more Free TAFE on offer there is no better time than now to kick-start your new career or to upskill. Check out the wide range of Free TAFE courses on this page and find a course that is right for you.

Students who have completed any Free TAFE program can also access the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE) under Free TAFE. This is to encourage and support industry-qualified people to pursue a career in VET training.

Frequently asked questions

For more information on Free TAFE, including details about eligibility and enrolment, see Free TAFE FAQs.

Available courses

Note: Please contact the TAFE and Training Line for further information on courses that have no course details. Phone 131 823 or email tafe.courseline@djsir.vic.gov.au.
Note: Please contact the TAFE and Training Line for further information on courses that have no course details. Phone 131 823 or email tafe.courseline@djsir.vic.gov.au.
Apprenticeship pathway courses (sometimes known as pre-apprenticeships) give you the opportunity to experience training that is like apprenticeship training. It can help you find out what it’s like to work in a particular industry.
Pre-apprenticeships can act as a pathway into an apprenticeship, supporting more Victorians to access further training.
With the Free TAFE priority pathways, you can progress from a certificate to a diploma within the same study area without paying tuition fees for each individual course. This is because the 'once-in-a-lifetime limit' for Free TAFE has now been removed for priority pathways.
Community services
- Certificate III in Community Services *not available for new enrolments
- Certificate IV in Community Services
- Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs
- Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention *not available for new enrolments
- Certificate IV in Mental Health
- Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work
- Certificate IV in Youth Work
- Diploma of Community Services
- Diploma of Youth Work
Nursing and personal care
- Certificate III in Individual Support
- Certificate IV in Ageing Support
- Certificate IV in Disability Support
- Certificate IV in Leisure and Health
- Diploma of Nursing
Accounting
- Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Diploma of Accounting
Agriculture
- Certificate II in Agriculture
- Certificate III in Agriculture
- Certificate III in Dairy Production *not available for new enrolments
- Certificate IV in Agriculture
Allied health and nursing
- Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance *not available for new enrolments
- Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance
- Diploma of Nursing
- Certificate III in Health Services Assistance
Building and construction
- Certificate III in Concreting
- Certificate III in Construction Waterproofing
- Certificate IV in Building and Construction
- Certificate IV in Plumbing and Services *not available for new enrolments
- Diploma of Building and Construction (Building)
- Advanced Diploma of Building Surveying
Civil construction
- Certificate III in Civil Construction
- Certificate III in Civil Construction (Plant Operations)
- Certificate IV Civil Construction *not available for new enrolments
Dental
- Certificate III in Dental Assisting
- Certificate IV in Dental Assisting
Information technology
- Certificate III in Information Technology
- Certificate IV in Cyber Security
Education support
- Certificate III in School Based Education Support
- Certificate IV in School Based Education Support
Early childhood
- Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
- Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
Auslan
- Diploma of Auslan
- Diploma of Interpreting (Auslan)
- Advanced Diploma of Interpreting (Auslan)
Hospitality and tourism
- Certificate III in Hospitality
- Certificate III in Commercial Cookery
- Certificate III in Tourism
- Certificate IV in Kitchen Management
- Diploma of Hospitality Management
More information
For information about courses, visit the Victorian Skills Gateway.
The following Free TAFE short courses are free at TAFE. They do not form part of the Free TAFE course list. Taking a Free TAFE short course will not impact your entitlement to a Free TAFE full qualification.
- Gender Equity
- Identifying and Responding to Family Violence Risk
- Working Safely on Rooftop Renewable Energy Systems
- Agricultural Chemical Skill Set
- Hybrid Electric Vehicle Inspection and Servicing Skill Set
- Battery Electric Vehicle Diagnose and Repair Skill Set
- Battery Electric Vehicle Inspection and Servicing Skill Set
- Mental Health Co-existing Needs Skill Set
- Mental Health Peer Work Skill Set
- Literacy and Numeracy Support (LNSUPPORT)
The following short courses have been included as part of the Free TAFE course list and are now available from 2025.

Find out if you're eligible

Residential status: Any Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or New Zealand citizen living in Victoria can now enrol in a Free TAFE course or government-subsidised training regardless of their prior skills and qualifications.
Previous qualification: You can do your first Free TAFE course no matter what qualifications you already hold. This applies to all qualifications - whether they be through TAFE or university. This is because the 'upskilling rule' has been removed.
For example, if you did a Bachelor of Arts and you want to change career you can go back and study a Diploma of Community Services as your first Free TAFE course.

A prerequisite applies in the Information Technology Pathway. To undertake the Certificate IV in Cyber Security under Free TAFE, students need to have completed the Certificate III in Information Technology first.

Multiple Free TAFE courses: You can do multiple Free TAFE courses in the same occupational pathway listed under Free TAFE priority pathways above.
This is because the 'once-in-a-lifetime limit' for Free TAFE has now been removed for priority pathways.
For example, in caring occupations if you have completed a Certificate III in Individual Support you can enrol in the Certificate IV in Disability or even the Diploma of Nursing and still access tuition fee-free training.
Students whose only Free TAFE fee waiver was under JobTrainer can also do another Free TAFE course, either in a pathway or non-pathway program.
A list of Free TAFE priority pathways is provided above.
Students must complete a program before commencing another program in a priority pathway.

Certificate IV in Training and Assessment: Students who have completed any Free TAFE program can get an additional Free TAFE fee waiver to do the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE). This is to encourage industry-qualified people to pursue a career in VET training. It doesn’t matter if they:
- completed the earlier program as Free TAFE, Skills First or fee-for-service
- already received fee waivers under Free TAFE, JobTrainer or Free TAFE pathways.
For more information, contact the TAFE and Training Line on 131 823 or email tafe.courseline@djsir.vic.gov.au.
Please note, Free TAFE priority pathways do not include apprenticeship pathway courses.

TAFE providers

Victoria's TAFEs deliver high-quality training across the state.
TAFE graduates have the skills and industry experience required to hit the ground running when they start work.

Bendigo TAFE

Box Hill Institute

Chisholm

TAFE Gippsland

Federation University

Go TAFE

Holmesglen

Kangan Institute

Melbourne Polytechnic

RMIT University

South West TAFE

Sunraysia Institute

Swinburne University of Technology

The Gordon

Victoria University

William Angliss Institute

Wodonga TAFE

High-demand jobs and careers

With the introduction of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten, there is a need for more early childhood educators in Victoria. It is expected that over 2,000 new early childhood educators will be required by 2029. Students who undertake the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care as Free TAFE are also eligible to undertake the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.
Free TAFE will train early childhood educators for in-demand jobs, including:
- Child Care Centre Manager
- Child Care Worker
- Child Care Group Leader
- Child Care Coordinator
- Child Care Centre Director
- Family Day Care Worker.
Free courses
- Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
- Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care
Whether it's a small business or major infrastructure project, skilled workers are required to meet the growing demand in Victoria's construction and infrastructure industry.
Free TAFE will train skilled workers for in-demand jobs, including:
- Earthmoving plant operators
- Labourers
- Concreters
- Plasterers
- Rail track workers
- Roof tilers
- Wall and floor tilers
- Plumbers
- Construction managers
- Architectural, building and surveying technicians
- Structure steel and welding trades workers.
Check out the free courses to support in-demand jobs in the construction and infrastructure industry.
Free courses
Free apprenticeship pathway courses
Other courses in construction and infrastructure
The Victorian Skills Gateway has all the courses available at Victoria’s TAFEs, including even more in construction and infrastructure.
Aimee's story

Award-winning plumber Aimee Stanton was once a beauty therapist, but she found her true calling when she enrolled in a Certificate II Plumbing Pre-apprenticeship at Swinburne TAFE.
'I didn’t want to be treated differently because I was a girl – I wanted to do everything and anything.'
Aimee says practical learning and the facilities at her TAFE, like welding bays and sandpits for digging trenches, prepared her for work.
'When people think about education they think of sitting in a classroom.
'At TAFE, you’re learning every day and you can go off and do all these practical things.'
Aimee moved on to complete her Certificate III in Plumbing which led her to an apprenticeship.
When she was a fourth-year apprentice, Aimee won the Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association (AMCA) President’s Award and Best Female Apprentice at Holmesglen TAFE.
Since then, Aimee landed a job at AG Coombs specialising in Mechanical Plumbing.
'I don’t think I’d have a job today if I didn’t have my pre-apprenticeship. It helped me get the hands-on skills and work experience that employers want.'
She says she now realises that other young people today have similar struggles finding their feet.
'I don’t think kids realise how many opportunities are out there – and with TAFE, you can explore all those opportunities. You don’t just have to go to uni and get a job – there’s so many different things you can do.'
Skilled workers in the health sector support the NDIS and family violence prevention workforce, meet the demands of our ageing population and support efforts for greater health and dental access across Victoria.
Free TAFE courses will support the sector with more skilled graduates to fill in-demand jobs.
Jobs in this sector include:
- Aged and disabled carers
- Enrolled and mothercraft nurses
- Dental assistants
- Nursing support workers
- Personal care workers
- Welfare support workers.
Check out the free courses to support in-demand jobs in the health sector.
Free courses
Other courses in health
The Victorian Skills Gateway has all the courses available at Victoria’s TAFEs, including even more in health.
Elke's story

Elke Hardy chose a course at Box Hill Institute as her starting point for a rewarding career in nursing.
She is now an enrolled nurse on rotation in an oncology ward, helping care for people with cancer.
Elke completed her course as a mature-aged student, and has since taken on further study.
She recommends the Diploma of Nursing to people of all ages contemplating a career in nursing, saying it taught the skills and knowledge needed to work as an enrolled nurse in a range of healthcare settings.
With a focus on community, and supporting the rollout of the NDIS in Victoria and family violence prevention initiatives, there is a need for skilled workers in the community sector.
Free TAFE courses will help meet the demand for skilled workers in roles that support the community.
In-demand jobs include:
- Welfare support workers
- Aged and disability carers
- Nursing support
- Care workers
- Welfare, recreation and community arts workers
- Education aides
- Counsellors
Check out the free courses to support in-demand jobs in community services.
Free courses
Other courses in community
The Victorian Skills Gateway has all the courses available at Victoria’s TAFEs, including even more in the community sector.
Oly's story

TAFE training helped Oly realise a career where he could use his wealth of lived experience to help young people who were struggling with mental health issues.
After years of working as a kitchen hand, Oly was looking for a career where he could use his wealth of lived experience to help young people who were struggling with mental health issues.
After completing a Certificate IV in Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs from Melbourne Polytechnic, Oly is now a valued team member with community mental health service Neami.
In his role as a peer support worker, Oly draws on his own personal experiences to help young people develop strategies and tactics to deal with their own mental health challenges.
Oly said studying at TAFE had given him the confidence he needed to successfully pursue a new career path in mental health services.
'I was so lucky to have such highly skilled and experienced teachers who could take the most complex theoretical ideas and break them down in everyday examples that anyone could relate to,' Oly says.
'The course connected me with the sector and prospective employers, so I always felt confident I would be able to get a job.
'The study units gave me such a strong theoretical grounding that I knew I would be able to make a real positive difference in people's lives.'
With a focus on supporting the rollout of the NDIS in Victoria, there is a need for skilled workers in the disability sector. Free TAFE courses will help meet the demand for skilled workers within a range of disability services and related roles.
In-demand jobs include:
- Welfare support workers
- Disability carers
- Nursing support
- Care workers
- Welfare, recreation and community arts workers
- Education aides.
Check out the free courses to support in-demand jobs in the disability sector.
Free courses
Other courses in disability
The Victorian Skills Gateway has all the courses available at Victoria’s TAFEs, including even more in disability services.
Jessica's story

'Be the best leader that you can be,' says 18-year-old Jessica Turner from Torquay.
Jessica says she fell in love with the disability sector after volunteering for Access for All Abilities as part of her year 11 studies. The organisation connects people with disabilities to sporting activities in Melbourne.
Along with her year 12 studies, Jessica also undertook a Certificate III & IV in Community Activities (Sports & Recreation) at SEDA College.
The highlight of Jessica’s course was the work placements where she went out to schools and had the opportunity to meet a diverse mix of people doing coaching and sport activities.
Her first placement was with Special Olympics Victoria where she organised sporting activities, medal ceremonies and support for athletes. She believes sports can a positive way to improve daily life, confidence and fitness for people with intellectual disability.
Dinjerra Primary School gave her an opportunity to engage students of refugee backgrounds, promoting inclusive education and social interactions helping kids learn and make friends.
Post-placement Jessica took on a volunteer role at Melbourne City Soccer club, coaching people who are blind and deaf to achieve their best in sport and in life.
Jessica is currently studying a Bachelor of Nursing at Victoria University and she has aspirations to go to medical school.
She believes studying at TAFE opened new pathways for her and she encourages others to do the same.
'I was able to finish school with additional skills and practical work experience,' says Jessica.
'It helped me find a purposeful career direction where I can make a difference.'
There is demand for TAFE graduates with skills in the agriculture industry to support the Government’s Food and Fibre Strategy and growth in regional Victoria.
In-demand jobs include:
- Crop farm workers
- Livestock farm workers
- Crop farmers
- Livestock farmers
- Gardeners
- Garden and Nursery Labourers.
Check out the free courses to support in-demand jobs in the agriculture industry.
Free courses
Free apprenticeship pathway courses
- Certificate II in Horticulture
Other courses in agriculture
The Victorian Skills Gateway has all the courses available at Victoria’s TAFEs, including even more in agriculture.
Chris' story

Farming is in Chris Gallagher’s blood. His family have been doing it for four generations.
While the traditional farming methods have been passed down through the generations, his Diploma of Agriculture from Federation University TAFE taught him more about modern technology and business practices.
'I’ve never known anything else. I grew up on the farm learning from my dad,' he says.
'But the diploma course has taken my knowledge to the next level. It’s given me lots of ideas of ways we can do things better, how I can invest in the farm’s future.'
Chris’ family grows potatoes and wheat and keeps lamb and cattle on a 1700 acre farm near Waubra.
'Most of the time I’m on the farm, putting what I’ve learned into practice. Then, every few weeks I go back to TAFE and teach future farmers.'
With a growing population meaning more hungry mouths, Chris believes the future of farming is both vital and bright.
'Everyone needs to eat and I want to be part of the answer to meeting increasing demands on the industry.
'In a way, teaching is a bit like farming, you reap what you sow. TAFE is a great example of investing in people so they can be their best, for themselves and society.'
Contribute to Victoria’s visitor economy as part of our famous cafe, restaurant and tourism sector. Free TAFE courses support in-demand hospitality jobs in both metro and regional tourism hubs.
In-demand jobs in this sector include:
- Bar attendants
- Baristas
- Waiters
- Chef
- Gallery, museum and tour guides
- Tourism and travel advisers.
Check out the free courses that are pathways to in-demand jobs in the hospitality and tourism industry.
Free courses
Free apprenticeship pathway courses
- Certificate II in Baking
Other courses in hospitality and tourism
The Victorian Skills Gateway has all the courses available at Victoria’s TAFEs, including even more in hospitality and tourism.
Jessi's story

Jessi McEwan’s cookery course at GippsTAFE (now TAFE Gippsland) set her up as a leading young chef.
Jessi was named Australia’s first Young Chef Ambassador in 2014 and represented Australia at the World Chefs’ Forum as part of the role.
The next year, she received a Victorian Young Achiever Award recognising her many culinary achievements.
Jessi said the training, support and encouragement she received at TAFE had been the perfect base for her career.
Skilled workers in professional services support the Government's Professional Services Sector Strategy and Digital Technologies Strategy. Free TAFE responds to demand for Victorians with the skills required for the professional services industry.
In-demand jobs in this sector include:
- General Clerks
- Accounting Clerks
- Bookkeepers
- Accountants
- ICT support technicians
- Database and systems administrators
- ICT security specialists.
Check out the free courses that are pathways to in-demand jobs in professional services.
Free courses
- Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Diploma of Accounting
- Certificate IV in Cyber Security. To undertake the Certificate IV in Cyber Security under Free TAFE, a person must have completed the Certificate III in Information Technology.
Other courses in professional services
The Victorian Skills Gateway has all courses available at Victoria’s TAFEs, including even more in professional services.
Nasir's story

Nasir Ali’s path to a career in accountancy started with a TAFE course at RMIT.
It helped prepare him for further study, including a business degree and chartered accountancy course.
Nasir is now a corporate accountant and settlements officer in the grain industry.
He credits his earlier TAFE studies for empowering him with the skills and knowledge to continue taking steps towards his career goal.

Updated 30 April 2025