Australia’s Free TAFE initiative is one of the most transformative education policies of the past decade. Since its introduction in Victoria in 2019, Free TAFE has provided tuition-free access to over 80 qualifications in high-demand fields, including healthcare, construction, and renewable energy. This program has opened doors for nearly 190,000 Victorians, many of whom would otherwise face insurmountable financial barriers to vocational education.

Despite this impact, particularly on disadvantaged communities and within the context of cost-of-living pressures, critics continue to raise concerns about course completion rates and quality. These criticisms fail to acknowledge the program’s true value and the complex realities of vocational education.

The True Worth of Free TAFE: Beyond Dollars and Cents

Free TAFE removes financial obstacles that have kept Australians out of vocational education. By eliminating tuition fees—which can range from $10,000 to over $30,000—Free TAFE makes education accessible not only to Australia’s young people but to late learners as well. Critically, Free TAFE also helps lift enrolments for women, Indigenous Australians, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people with disabilities, and the unemployed, all of whom have historically been underrepresented in higher education.

For many, Free TAFE is not just about a qualification; it’s about dignity, aspiration, and a pathway to a better life. To assume that students don’t value a Free TAFE education because they have made no financial contribution, fails to consider these more nuanced motivators that drive Free TAFE enrolment and participation.

Completion Rates: A Flawed Measure of Success

Critics often point to low completion rates as evidence of Free TAFE’s shortcomings. But this argument fundamentally misunderstands both the intent and the structure of vocational education. Looking solely at completion rates utterly ignores the realities of students’ lives. Many TAFE students are balancing study with work and family obligations, a task that has only grown more difficult given the amplified pressure of the cost-of-living.

Some students may not finish their course but still gain valuable credentials and confidence that help them secure employment or pursue further training. For others, simply starting a course can be a transformative step. Judging Free TAFE’s success by a single, flawed metric undermines the student experience and the true value of training, reducing it to merely obtaining a certificate.

Quality and Funding: Why TAFE Delivers

Another criticism is that Free TAFE somehow leads to poor-quality courses. In reality, TAFEs deliver high quality training that leads to strong career outcomes. TAFEs are government-owned, heavily regulated, and subject to rigorous quality assurance standards that many private providers do not meet. TAFEs are uniquely positioned to respond to government-identified skills shortages, ensuring that courses are aligned with workforce needs and industry standards.

TAFEs also provide a wide range of student support services—literacy and numeracy help, disability support, and mental health resources—that are crucial for student success, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. These supports are not always available through private providers, further underscoring the value of the public TAFE system.

Failure to acknowledge the processes and resources in place that assure TAFEs are delivering quality courses further perpetuates a tired narrative, that attempts to diminish the value of TAFEs and the quality of the training they provide.

Conclusion

Criticisms of Free TAFE are rooted in assumptions: The assumption that students won’t value their education due to an absence of personal financial investment. The assumption that the initiative is failing due to the outcome of a singular, flawed metric. The assumption that TAFEs provide poor quality education.

All of these assumptions are just that. Assumptions. They neglect to consider the real-world benefit to students and the holistic impact of Free TAFE by undermining the experiences of students and the quality of TAFEs and underestimating the long-term impact this initiative will have on people, communities, and the economy.

If we are serious about tackling inequality, boosting productivity, and meeting the demands of a changing economy, Free TAFE deserves not just our support, but our patience and continued investment. The real measure of its success will be seen in the lives changed, the doors opened, and the industries strengthened for generations to come.

The VTA has prepared this article in response to commentary published in The Australian on 23 April 2025 (Shallow politics puts policy nous to the sword).

Authorised by D. Murray, Victorian TAFE Association, L18, 1 Nicholson St East Melbourne VIC 3002.