12 December 2025
As Victorian VCE students receive their ATARs this week, the Victorian TAFE Association (VTA) is urging school leavers and their families to take advantage of enrolling at one of Victoria’s TAFEs.
TAFE is increasingly the smart choice for career security and higher salaries, through providing practical, job-ready skills and experience. Graduates with a TAFE qualification (Certificate IV and above) earn more on average than bachelor degree graduates.
TAFE graduates match university graduates in overall employment outcomes, with 78% of TAFE graduates and 79% of university graduates securing work after training. For those undertaking apprenticeships and traineeships, the success rate is even higher, with 94% employed immediately after training.
With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, TAFE qualifications offer a secure, “AI-proof” pathway focused on hands-on, human-centric and practical skills that technology cannot replicate.
Four in five future jobs are accessible through a TAFE qualification. With 90 campuses across Victoria, TAFEs ensure that all Victorians have access to world-class vocational training.
Quotes attributable to Alex White, CEO of the Victorian TAFE Association:
“As students finish their VCE, we encourage them and their families to look at TAFE as an equal first choice for their futures.”
“The data shows a TAFE qualification is increasingly the pathway to a secure career and higher wages.”
“We are entering the age of AI, and the smartest way to AI-proof’ your career is to get practical, hands-on skills that AI can’t replace.”
“Victoria will need 1.4 million new jobs over the next few years, and 80 percent are attainable through TAFE.”