Labor is making Fee-Free TAFE permanent

Fee-Free TAFE benefits everyone. Under Labor, free TAFE is here to stay because we want people to gain skills and get ahead.

The Albanese Labor Government will introduce legislation to establish Fee-Free TAFE, funding 100,000 Fee-Free TAFE places a year from 2027.

This builds on the Albanese Government partnership with states and territories to deliver 180,000 Fee-Free TAFE places in 2023; 300,000 places over three years from 2024; and agreements being finalised for a further 20,000 construction and housing Fee-Free places.

Fee-Free TAFE started in January 2023 to 30 June 2024 and has exceeded all expectations – with more than 508,000 enrolments in courses in priority areas, including:

• 131,000 in care – including disability and aged care
• 48,900 in digital and tech
• 35,000 in construction
• 35,500 in early childhood education and care

Fee-Free TAFE is particularly benefitting Australians from priority cohorts, with 170,000 young Australians, 124,000 job seekers and 30,000 First Nations Australians enrolling in the program.

Labor’s Fee-Free TAFE program is making a real difference in the lives of young Australians. Hear from two bright young Canberrans, Giselle and Caitlin on how getting free training has helped them get ahead.

The Fee-Free TAFE Skills Agreement sets out training places across the following areas of national priority:

• agriculture
• care (including aged care, health care and disability care)
• construction
• defence
• early childhood education and care
• hospitality and tourism
• manufacturing
• sovereign capability
• technology and digital
• VET workforce from 2024.

The Labor government has identified that Fee-Free TAFE will be prioritised for a number of priority groups, noting that specific details on priority groups, qualifications and courses may differ in each state and territory.

Priority groups include:

• First Nations Australians
• young people (17-24)
• people who are out of work or receiving income support payments
• unpaid carers
• women facing economic insecurity
• women undertaking study in non-traditional fields
• people with disability
• certain categories of visa holders.

Find out more HERE.