TAFE: A Complete Guide to Technical and Further Education

A Technical and Further Education (TAFE) course is perfect for you if you’re an international student in Australia who is seeking a practical course that leads on to either building a career in a certain field or to a higher education pathway.

TAFE courses for international students provide a wonderful grounding if you’re planning to study in Australia because there are so many options available that will help you get the job of your dreams. Also, one of the best parts of being a student in Australia, apart from the career prospects, of course, is the entire student experience that you’ll be able to immerse yourself in. You’ll meet lots of new people, be able to see new places and will generally have the time of your life!

So, What is TAFE?

Technical and Further Education (TAFE) studies are vocational programmes or certifications that are provided by the national training system of Australia (Vocational Education and Training). The Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) is the name of the system that TAFE courses operate through. And, there are so many of these lines of study to choose from.

No matter what you are interested in, you will find a TAFE course that will suit you. There’s everything from arts to winemaking to anything else! You will find that embarking on one of these courses genuinely enriches your life, helps you to meet new friends, educates you and that it could well be a stepping stone to something even bigger in the future! There are many international students who enjoy their TAFE courses so much that they just don’t want to stop studying!

If you’re wondering who funds and runs TAFE institutes, it’s the state and territory government of Australia. Although TAFE is purpose-designed to provide certificate/diploma qualifications, there are also some post-graduate diplomas and bachelor’s degrees available in certain fields. The actual TAFE system is an entry point for all students who wish to earn credits to go towards a bachelor’s degree from a university. It is then possible to transfer these credits to full degree programmes.

Australia’s TAFE Institutes

The largest training and education sector in Australia is TAFE. As it stands today, there are around 59 TAFE institutes throughout metropolitan and regional areas of the country. The magic of TAFE courses is that these are specifically designed to provide students with the skills, training and the qualifications they need to join the workforce. There is a hugely practical side to TAFE which many students genuinely embrace. TAFE is all about putting learning into practice rather than just working on the theoretical side. So, if you are the type of person who likes to get things done, TAFE could work well for you!

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