Free TAFE and Job Trainer Courses

Free TAFE for priority courses gives more Victorians the chance to study at TAFE. More than ever, the skills we need to build our state are learned at TAFE. Free TAFE for priority courses reduces the financial barrier for students wanting to train in courses that lead to jobs in demand from Victorian employers.

The investment of $172 million makes priority TAFE courses and pre-apprenticeship courses in growth industries tuition-fee free. Free TAFE for priority courses covers tuition fees for priority courses for students who are eligible for government-subsidised training.

Students who are eligible for Victorian Government-subsidised training can access the Free TAFE for Priority Courses initiative to study tuition fee free in one of the following courses at TAFE Gippsland

Free TAFE eligibility

Any Australian citizen or permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen is eligible to do one Free TAFE for priority course in Victoria if they meet the following criteria:

• under 20 or upskilling
• aged under 20 (regardless of any other qualifications they might hold)
• are 20 or older and enrolling in a course that is a higher qualification than the highest qualification previously attained
• Victorians who need additional support

Victorians who are:

• unemployed and clients of the Jobs Victoria Employment Network
• retrenched workers
• automotive supply chain workers
• looking to change careers

Victorians who want to reskill, change careers, improve their employment prospects and/or meet the needs of local industries, subject to availability of TAFE places, and prioritised based on need

Free TAFE for priority courses FAQ’s

The Victorian Government has partnered with the Commonwealth Government to jointly invest up to $260 million under the JobTrainer Fund to increase access to training for thousands of Victorians who have been most impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

Through the JobTrainer Fund, eligible Victorians will have access to a wide range of industries identified as having a genuine skills need and employment growth, such as health, construction, agriculture, community services, food processing, financial services, logistics and beauty services.

To be eligible for JobTrainer, you must be:

• aged 17-24 at the time you start your course, or
• be a job seeker of any age

In addition, you must:

• not have previously commenced a full qualification (eg. certificate or diploma) under JobTrainer
• must meet normal eligibility for Government-subsidised training but with two exceptions:
  1. You don't need to be enrolling in a course that is higher than the Australian qualification you currently hold.
  2. You are not restricted to the usual limit on commencing more than two courses at the same level in your lifetime.

You must also be able to demonstrate you are a job seeker by showing a current, valid and specific concession card, or employer letter, or signing a declaration.