TasTAFE has thousands of fee-free places for eligible Tasmanians state-wide

Free TasTAFE places were made possible thanks to Federal Labor government funding of $8.9 million.

According to TasTAFE, 892 of these have been allocated to Northern Tasmania.

The Australian and Tasmanian governments' joint Fee-Free TAFE initiative has increased opportunities for Tasmanians to access TasTAFE's training.

The initiative aims to address the critical skills shortage, which some employers have said is holding back the state's economy.

In 2023, TasTAFE offered 2,638 fee-free places state-wide, with 984 students enrolled from Northern Tasmania.

According to a TasTAFE representative, this year, TasTAFE is again experiencing a high demand for fee-free TAFE, and places are filling up quickly.

The representative said enrolments are already at 83 per cent.

TasTAFE offers full qualifications and short courses in some of the most popular study areas under the Fee-Free TAFE initiative.

This includes studies in aged care, agriculture, childcare, IT, hospitality and tourism.

TasTAFE CEO Grant Dreher said TasTAFE delivers accredited and non-accredited training programs, and certified training is provided via National Training Packages.

"All TasTAFE courses emphasise practical, industry-aligned skills to ensure our graduates are job-ready.

"This is a requirement of the Jobs and Skills Councils, which develop and manage National Training Packages.

"Many of our courses include work placements to provide our learners with real-life skills," Mr Dreher said.

The CEO said an example is TasTAFE's nursing and aged care courses, which require learners to do several work or clinical placements in hospitals or aged care facilities.

He stated that TasTAFE works closely with industry, community, and key stakeholders to ensure that the skills taught and their assessment align with Tasmania's current and future workforce needs.

"TasTAFE has a range of courses on offer throughout the year. The next major intake will start in July 2024. There is a mix of fee-free and fee-paying courses," Mr Dreher said.

People interested in a TasTAFE course can register for their upcoming Info Week (20-24 May) via the TAFE's website.

More information on current fee-free courses can also be found on their TasTAFE website.