Who provides the courses?
- Vocational and Technical Education (VET) sector
- Registered Training Organisations (RTOs)
- Higher Education Sector
Vocational and Technical Education (VET) sector
Formal training to gain VET qualifications provides:
- structured training leading to a qualification
- performance and skills assessment against competency levels
- on-the-job and/or off-the-job training.
On-the-job training occurs in the workplace as part of your work. An assessor will visit you regularly to check off the specific competency levels you have achieved for your training qualification. This is also called Structured Workplace Learning in school-based VET courses.
Off-the-job training occurs away from the workplace and sometimes out of working hours. It may take place at a TAFE institute, a school or a private training centre. You can study on-campus by attending classes, or externally via online or distance learning at home.
Assessment occurs through tests, completed projects and research at the learning institution.
Registered Training Organisations (RTOs)
TAFE is a major provider of post-secondary VET. There are more than 5000 courses available at around 500 campuses throughout Australia.
The TAFE system trains people in technical, creative, paraprofessional and mid-level administrative areas. Most TAFE courses are developed in consultation with the relevant industry. TAFE also offers labour market courses, entry and bridging courses, as well as adult and community education classes.
For more information, contact a counsellor at your local TAFE institute or TAFE information centre and/or see the Useful addresses section for contact details.
There are about 4000 private RTOs in Australia offering nationally recognised training. These include business colleges, secretarial colleges, computer training centres and industry-based training centres. They provide training from certificate I to advanced diploma level in a wide range of fields. Course fees may be higher than those of TAFE institutes. Contact the Training Authority in your state or territory for information about RTOs or see the Useful addresses section for contact details.You can also visit the Training.gov.au website at http://training.gov.au.
Skills centres are industry and enterprise-based training facilities that offer a wide range of training to enterprise employees, industry groups and individuals. Some skills centres are located in workplaces, some are stand-alone and others are linked with a TAFE institute, school or Group Training Organisation. There are about 128 industry-based skills centres, 146 skills centres for school students and 40 skills centres connected to VET infrastructure for Indigenous people. Contact the Training Authority in your state or territory for information about skills centres. See the Useful addresses section for contact details.
Higher education sector
Universities
Universities offer a wide range of courses, some of which lead to specific occupations such as pharmacy, nursing or engineering. Other courses, such as arts or science degrees, are more general.
Universities offer study at undergraduate level (diploma, advanced diploma and bachelor degree) and postgraduate level (graduate certificate, graduate diploma, masters degree and doctoral degree).
Universities also run bridging and tertiary preparation courses, which help students prepare for bachelor degrees.
You can apply to your chosen university through normal entry (senior secondary school qualifications), special/alternative entry or advanced standing entry (credit transfer or credit for prior learning). In most states and territories, applications are processed through a Tertiary Admissions Centre (TAC) for most courses.
Application forms should be available from August onwards and it is advisable to apply before November. There may be some charges associated with late applications. Contact individual universities and TACs for further advice. See the Useful addresses section for contact
details.
Assistance for students with disability
Each year the Australian Government provides funding to universities through the Disability Support Program (DSP) to assist in removing barriers to access for students with a disability. Funding is for services and equipment to assist students with disability and the provision of alternative materials, such as Braille and audio tapes for students with vision impairments; sign interpreting services for hearing impaired students; and the purchase of equipment, such as voice recognition software and mobility scooters.
Other registered higher education institutes
A number of public and private institutions are able to offer higher education awards, ranging from diplomas to doctoral degrees, accredited by each state or territory government. Many of these institutions focus on studies in particular areas, for example, business, psychology or fine arts. This includes a small number of TAFE institutes that are accredited to also offer higher education courses in selected fields of study.
Before enrolling in a course at a registered higher education provider, you should ensure that the institution and its courses are properly accredited by the relevant government department or authority. For further information, see the register of higher education providers on the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) website at www.aqf.edu.au.