Overview
Looking for something to fill your time (that's not live streaming koalas or re-watching Tiger King over and over again)? TAFE Victoria is offering a heap of courses — for free.
There are currently 42 free 'priority' courses on offer at Victorian TAFE institutions, running from a Diploma of Nursing to an Advanced Diploma in Accounting and a Certificate IV in Cyber Security. Exactly what courses are available at what time varies with what jobs are currently in demand in Victoria.
The free TAFE for priority courses initiative isn't new — with the first free courses on offer from January 1, 2019 — but is particularly important right now. Today, Friday, April 17, Premier Daniel Andrews announced $260.8 million worth of emergency funding to help support the state's TAFE and training systems, saying "we need a skilled, adaptable workforce to get through this crisis and rebuild".
Part of that money will be used by the higher education facilities to deliver more online and remote learning, with free TAFE courses in fields like infection control and first aid set to come online in the coming week.
According to the State Government, "685 people have already completed free short courses in food hygiene and cleaning" and free TAFE has been providing a 'pipeline' of nurses and other health care workers essential during the COVID-19 crisis.
To be eligible for a free priority TAFE course, you'll have to be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or a permanent Australian resident and fit one of the extra criteria. This may be you if you're under 20 years old, if you will be upskilling (that is, enrolling in a higher qualification than you've previously attained), or you're a Victorian who requires additional support — i.e., you're unemployed or have recently been retrenched. If you're looking to change careers, you may also be considered for one of the free places.
To find out more about the free TAFE courses and enrol, head to the Victorian Government website. Alternatively, you can apply directly to a Victorian TAFE institution.