Technical and further education or simply TAFE (), is the common name in English-speaking countries in

Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...

for

vocational education Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an i ...

, as a subset of

tertiary education Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...

. TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational courses. Individual TAFE institutions (usually with numerous campuses) are known as either colleges or institutes, depending on the country, state or territory. In

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, where the term TAFE originated, institutions usually host qualifying courses, under the National Training System/ Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework. Fields covered include business, finance, hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, visual arts, information technology and community work. TAFE colleges are owned, operated and financed by the various state/territory governments.

Qualifications awarded by TAFE colleges

TAFE colleges award Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications accredited in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector that align to Certificate I, Certificate II, Certificate III, Certificate IV, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma qualifications. In many instances, TAFE study at a Diploma or above level can be used as partial credit towards bachelor's degree-level university programs. From 2002 the TAFE education sector has been able to offer bachelor's 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 New South Wales, Victoria, but also Western Australia, ACT, and Queensland) now confer their own degree-level awards and post graduate diplomas, though initially not beyond the level of bachelor's degree. However Melbourne Polytechnic has been accredited in 2015 to offer two master's degree courses.Melbourne Polytechnic Annual Report pp22 Similarly, some universities (e.g., Charles Darwin University and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) offer vocational education courses (traditionally the domain of TAFE); these are funded by the local state and territory governments. Some high schools also deliver courses developed and accredited by TAFEs.
TAFE gears up to offer degrees
' By Rebecca Scott,

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

24 July 2002. Accessed 3 August 2008Leesa Wheelahan, Gavin Moodie,

Stephen Billett Stephen Richard Billett is an Australian educational researcher and Professor of Adult Vocational Education in the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University. His research centres on vocational learning, workplace lea ...

and Ann Kelly,
Higher education in TAFE
', Research report published by National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), 3 September 2009. Accessed 24 September 2009 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, 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 Victorian Certificate of Education,

Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is a 'hands-on' option for students in Years 10, 11, and 12 and is a credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete year 11 and 12 in the Australian Australian(s) may r ...

, and the Higher School Certificate. Some universities, e.g. Charles Darwin University and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 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 Vocational education is education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. Vocational Education can also be seen as that type of education given to an i ...

courses. 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.

TAFE colleges by state/territory

In most cases, TAFE campuses are grouped into TAFE institutions or ''institutes'' 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 they service the whole state or territory. For example, the Trade and Technician Skills Institute in Brisbane, from 1 July 2006, has specialised in automotive, building and construction, manufacturing and engineering, and electrical/electronic studies for students throughout Queensland and the William Angliss Institute of TAFE in Melbourne has specialised in food, hospitality and tourism courses for Victoria.

Australian Capital Territory

In the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding township#Aust ...

, these include: * Canberra Institute of Technology

New South Wales

There are ten TAFE NSW Institutes in NSW, namely: * Hunter Institute * Illawarra Institute *New England Institute * North Coast Institute * Northern Sydney Institute *

Riverina Institute TAFE NSW is an Australian vocational education and training provider. Annually, the network trains over 500,000 students in campus, workplace, online, or distance education methods of education. It was established as an independent statutory bod ...

* South Western Sydney Institute * Sydney Institute *

Western Institute The Western Institute in Poznań (Polish: ''Instytut Zachodni'', German ''West-Institut'', French: ''L'Institut Occidental'') is a scientific research society focusing on the Western provinces of Poland - Kresy Zachodnie (including Greater Polan ...

* Western Sydney Institute, including OTEN

Northern Territory

In the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...

, these include: * Charles Darwin University *

Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE, generally known as Batchelor Institute and formerly known as Batchelor College) provides training and further education, and higher education for Aboriginal Australians and Torres St ...

Queensland

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

TAFE Queensland TAFE Queensland is the statutory authority parent body for TAFE technical and further education training in the Australian state of Queensland. Established in 1882, TAFE Queensland is one of Australia's largest education providers with 120,00 ...

includes: As of May 2014, the TAFE institutes have amalgamated into six regions of the central TAFE Queensland (parent body). The regions of ''TAFE Queensland'' are: * Brisbane (formerly Brisbane North Institute of TAFE, Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE and Southbank Institute of Technology) * Gold Coast (formerly Gold Coast Institute of TAFE) * East Coast (formerly Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE and Wide Bay Institute of TAFE) * South West (formerly Bremer Institute of TAFE and Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE) * North (formerly Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE, Mount Isa Institute of TAFE and Tropical North Queensland TAFE) * SkillsTech (formerly SkillsTech Australia) And as of the 1st of July 2014, Central Queensland TAFE (branded as CQ TAFE) was merged into

Central Queensland University Central Queensland University (alternatively known as CQUniversity) is an Australian public university based in central Queensland. CQUniversity is the only Australian university with a campus presence in every mainland state. Its main campu ...

(branded as CQUniversity) to create Queensland's first dual sector university.

South Australia

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...

: * TAFE SA

Tasmania

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, there are two government TAFE organisations: *

TAFE Tasmania TasTAFE is a Tasmanian tertiary education body of the Australian state-based Technical and Further Education system run by the Tasmanian State Government. The main campuses are located at Hobart, Warrane, Claremont, Glenorchy, Launceston, Alan ...

includes: ** Institute of TAFE Tasmania (general) ** Drysdale Institute (for tourism and

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship between a guest and a host, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill, including the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis, chevalier de Jaucourt describes ...

) * Australian Maritime College TAFE (maritime studies)

Victoria

In Victoria these include: *

Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE Bendigo TAFE is a regional provider of vocational education, training and assessment services, located in northern and central Victoria, Australia. The institute has been in operation in various guises since 1854. The institute was known as the ...

(Local: Bendigo-Echuca) *

Box Hill Institute of TAFE Box Hill Institute is a provider of vocational and higher education located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne in Victoria. The Box Hill Institute has three locations in Box Hill (Elgar, Nelson & Whitehorse), two in Lilydale (John St and Ja ...

(Local: Eastern Melbourne, Specialist: Short courses) * Chisholm Institute (Local: South East Melbourne) *

East Gippsland Institute of TAFE TAFE Gippsland, formerly Advance TAFE & East Gippsland Institute of TAFE is a TAFE institute located in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. It has campuses located at Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance and Sale as well as specialist educati ...

(Local: East Gippsland) *

Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE Federation Training Established 1 May 2014 following the amalgamation of Advance TAFE and GippsTAFE, with 10 campuses from Warragul in West Gippsland across the state to Lakes Entrance in the east. GippsTAFE Academy In 2012, GippsTAFE ope ...

(Local: West and South Gippsland, Specialist: High-voltage electrical)
Federation TAFE
(Local: Ballarat and Horsham - Central Highlands/Wimmera, Specialist: Agriculture & Horticulture, Building & Construction, Business & IT, Community Services, Food & Hospitality, Hair & Beauty, Manufacturing Engineering) * Gordon Institute of TAFE (Local: Geelong) *

Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, also known as GOTAFE, GOTAFE is the largest vocational education provider in regional Victoria. Offering over 130 courses across eight campuses, GOTAFE services 11 local government areas with an estimated reside ...

(Local: North East Victoria) * Holmesglen Institute of TAFE (Local: Eastern Melbourne) *

Kangan Institute Kangan Institute is a TAFE (technical and further education) provider in Melbourne, Australia. History Kangan Institute was established as the Broadmeadows College of TAFE on 28 February 1986, when it was formally opened by Prime Minister Bob ...

(Local: North West Melbourne, Specialist: Automotive, Fashion) * Melbourne Polytechnic (Local: Northern and inner East Melbourne, Specialist: Equine, Aquaculture, Agriculture, Viticulture, Music) * RMIT University (Specialist: Various) *

South West Institute of TAFE South West Institute of TAFE is the Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Institute located in the south west of the Australian state of Victoria. South West TAFE’s campuses are located in Warrnambool, Hamilton, Portland and Colac, with t ...

(Local: Western District) *

Sunraysia Institute of TAFE The Sunraysia Institute of TAFE, also known as SuniTAFE is a provider of vocational education and training services in north-west Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1980, its first campus is located in Mildura, Victoria, with additional campuses ...

(Local: North West Victoria) *

Swinburne University of Technology Swinburne University of Technology (often simply called Swinburne) is a public research university based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1908 as the Eastern Suburbs Technical College by George Swinburne to serve those without acce ...

(Local: Eastern Melbourne) * University of Ballarat (Local: Ballarat-Wimmera) * Victoria University (Local: Western Melbourne) * William Angliss Institute of TAFE (Specialist: Hospitality) * Wodonga Institute of TAFE (Local: Wodonga, Specialist: Driving) * The

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb ...

discontinued its TAFE arm (which specialised in agriculture and forestry) at the start of 2007.

Western Australia

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...

, this includes: *

North Metropolitan TAFE North Metropolitan TAFE is a state government-funded educational facility delivering Technical and Further Education (TAFE). It services the northern suburbs of Perth across ten campuses. It was formed on 11 April 2016, when the State Governmen ...

(Formerly

Central Institute of Technology Central Institute of Technology was a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institution based in Perth, Western Australia until 2016 when it became a part of North Metropolitan TAFE. It was the equal oldest post-secondary educational instituti ...

& West Coast Institute of Training) * South Metropolitan TAFE (Formerly Challenger Institute of Technology &

Polytechnic West Polytechnic West (formerly Swan TAFE) was a State Training Provider established under section 35 of the Vocational Education and Training Act 1996 (WA) based in Perth, Western Australia. Polytechnic West is one of the largest training providers ...

) *Central Regional TAFE (Formerly Durack Institute of Technology, Goldfields Institute of Technology & C. Y. O'Connor Institute) *

South Regional TAFE South Regional TAFE is a State Training Provider providing a range of vocational education located in southern regional Western Australia. On 11 April 2016,http://www.dtwd.wa.gov.au/trainingproviders/training-sector-reform-project/Documents/Chang ...

(Formerly South West Institute of Technology & Great Southern Institute of Technology) *North Regional TAFE (Formerly Kimberley TAFE & Pilbara Institute)