Technical and further education or simply TAFE () is the common name in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

for

vocational education Vocational education is education that prepares people for a skilled craft. Vocational education can also be seen as that type of education given to an individual to prepare that individual to be gainfully employed or self employed with req ...

, as a subset of

tertiary education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

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

, where the term TAFE originated, institutions usually host qualifying courses, under the National Training System/ Australian Qualifications Framework/VET Quality 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 of June 2009, ten TAFE colleges (mainly in New South Wales and 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 was accredited in 2015 to offer two master's degree courses.Melbourne Polytechnic Annual Report p. 22 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 2008.Leesa Wheelahan, Gavin Moodie, Stephen Billett and Ann Kelly,
Higher education in TAFE
'', research report published by the 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 The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is the credential available to secondary school students who successfully complete year 10, 11 and 12 in the Australian state of Victoria (state), Victoria as well as in some international schools i ...

Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) was a 'hands-on' program for students in Years 10, 11 and 12 that was available from 2002 to 2023. It has now been superseded by the VCE Vocational Major and the Victorian Pathways Certificate. T ...

, 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 courses. 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 (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...

, these include: * Canberra Institute of Technology

New South Wales

There were ten TAFE NSW Institutes in NSW, which have since been joined into a state-wide service. OTEN or TAFE Digital is TAFE's online offering.

Northern Territory

In the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

, these include: * Charles Darwin University * Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

Queensland

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, TAFE Queensland 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 1 July 2014, Central Queensland TAFE (branded as CQ TAFE) was merged into Central Queensland University (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. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

: * TAFE SA

Tasmania

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, there are two government TAFE organisations: * TasTAFE includes: ** Institute of TAFE Tasmania (general) ** Drysdale Institute (for tourism and

hospitality Hospitality is the relationship of a host towards a guest, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill and welcome. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, ...

) * Australian Maritime College TAFE (maritime studies)

Victoria

In Victoria these include: * Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE (Local: Bendigo-Echuca) * Box Hill Institute of TAFE (Local: Eastern Melbourne, Specialist: Short courses) * Chisholm Institute (Local: South East Melbourne) * East Gippsland Institute of TAFE (Local: East Gippsland) * Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE (Local: West and South Gippsland, Specialist: High-voltage electrical) * Federation University (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 (Local: North East Victoria) * Holmesglen Institute of TAFE (Local: Eastern Melbourne) * Kangan Institute (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 (Local: Western District) * Sunraysia Institute of TAFE (Local: North West Victoria) * Swinburne University of Technology (Local: Eastern Melbourne) * 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 (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

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

Western Australia

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

, this includes: * North Metropolitan TAFE (Formerly Central Institute of Technology & West Coast Institute of Training) * South Metropolitan TAFE (Formerly Challenger Institute of Technology & Polytechnic West) *Central Regional TAFE (Formerly Durack Institute of Technology, Goldfields Institute of Technology & C. Y. O'Connor Institute) * South Regional TAFE (Formerly South West Institute of Technology & Great Southern Institute of Technology) *North Regional TAFE (Formerly Kimberley TAFE & Pilbara Institute)