The Victorian TAFE Association (VTA) welcomes the passage of the Free TAFE Guarantee Bill through the Upper House today.
This is a significant milestone for public vocational education in Victoria and formally enshrines Free TAFE into law, providing long-term certainty for students and industry partners across the state.
Putting Free TAFE into law ensures that cost is no longer a barrier to gaining high-quality, industry-relevant skills at a public TAFE or dual-sector university. It ensures every Victorian can count on an accessible, future‑proof TAFE system that continues to deliver opportunity for decades to come.
The Free TAFE Guarantee also establishes a funding guarantee for the public vocational education sector, ensuring that 70 per cent of all government vocational education and training funding must be allocated to TAFEs and dual-sector universities.
The new law recognises the vital and unique role that Victoria’s public TAFE Network plays in supporting local communities and driving the state’s economic productivity.
Since 2019, Free TAFE has seen more than 229,000 students save over $777 million in tuition fees. On average, students have saved more than $3,390.
Free TAFE has been highly impactful for regional Victoria, where 57,000 learners have used Free TAFE to study closer to home.
To meet the urgent future needs of Victoria’s workforce the VTA recommends supercharging Free TAFE investment with a further 10,000 funded places per year for ten years, and commiting $2.5 billion for expanding vital infrastructure for new campuses.
That means opening more doors, creating more pathways and investing in the facilities and industry‑standard equipment that empower every Victorian to upskill, reskill or begin their higher‑education journey.
Quotes attributable to Alex White, CEO of the Victorian TAFE Association:
“Today the Victorian Government put into law that TAFE is at the heart of Victoria’s vocational education system.”
“The Free TAFE Guarantee ensures that every Victorian who wants to gain a world-class education at one of our public TAFEs or dual-sector universities can do so without financial limits or the burden of tuition debt.”
“The new law also provides the financial certainty our TAFE institutes need to continue to focus on delivering the skilled workforce that Victorian businesses are crying out for in construction, renewable energy, and the care economy.”
“Whether you are a parent returning to the workforce in regional Victoria or a young person starting an apprenticeship in the suburbs, TAFE will provide you the training you need to succeed and get a job.”