American reacts to: What is 'TAFE' in Australia?

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[noone]

I have a brother whom I am so proud of. He left school at like 16... got an apprenticeship as a fitter and machinist, through TAFE and made a career out of that. He got married, had 4 kids but then decided he wanted to actually be an engineer. He went to University at the age of 40, cleaned the University cafeteria etc. with his wife for income.... and graduated as an engineer at the age of 44. All whilst looking after 4 kids. I can't tell you the pride I have in him.

[karenmundy]

I had a poor education in my childhood but I didn't let that stop me. I was a late bloomer, i was a stay at home mum until 40 years old, i got my licence to drive, went to TAFE and passed my certificate 3 in aged care as a carer. I worked for 2 years. Then decided to go back to TAFE and did my diploma of nursing and became an Enroled Nurse. I worked for 2 years in an aged care facility. Then I went to university became a Registered Nurse. i currently work i a hospital. In my experience I have found that TAFE prepared me for work than university.

[peteratkinson]

I am a recently retired TAFE teacher of 30years, teaching electricians. We have two main political parties in Australia. The liberal party (our republican equivalent) tries to privatise TAFE and charge high fees. The labour party (our democrat equivalent) which are our current government, provides mostly fee-free places and keeps TAFE as publicly owned institutions. TAFE has a very proud history and is one of the largest education systems in the world. Most Aussies will have family members who have gone through TAFE. If you live in a house, drive a car, have flowers at your wedding etc, All Those people have been trained at TAFE. It has long been a major strength of Australian economy and society. So Aussies, remember all this every time you vote in an election.

[kacassell]

My two sons went through TAFE, one a motor mechanic, the other a builder and today they both run their own very successful businesses.

[kennethdodemaide]

The smart ones who do TAFE usually end up with higher paying employment than those with University degrees. Many of the courses at TAFE are free because the government has designated them as essential to overcome shortages in many occupations.

[DavidCalvert-mhsy]

My son went to TAFE in his late teens/early twenties to study commercial photography. Along with two high school friends he set up a small animation studio. After a decade of production they sold the studio to a large gaming studio. My son then turned to teaching animation, special effects and documentary production, also producing several virtual reality documentaries. During this time he earned a PhD, and now lectures at the state university as an associate professor. And the cost of his TAFE course was zero dollars and zero cents.

[CassTaz]

So the right wing state governments(Liberal) in Australia hated funding TAFE. But loved the people who fix and or build their multiple rental properties. TAFE rocks. You always need plumbers, builders, electricians.
TAFE has been underfunded for years but now reinvigorating.

[bernhardoest]

My son was 15 yrs old and was not interested in school. He did a 12 month course at tafe in south Australia in engineering fabrication got a apprenticeship after the year earning a 4 year apprenticeship wages and all training played for by the company. 14 years later he is earning 6 figures working for a mining company . Very proud mum and dad thanks to our great schooling system in the lucky country. Ps love your channel 😂

[lindariley]

TAFE - Technical and Further Education. The government will sometimes offer free funding for various courses. My granddaughter is studying Enrolled Nursing this year for free and at present she is doing 3 weeks of practical work at a local aged care facility - no wages. Next year she will study Registered Nursing. She may need to pay for her RN study but as of yesterday’s government budget students will be paid around $320 per week next year for practical placements.

[SueNicholls-]

My two sons got their school certificates in year 10, started their 4 year plumbing apprenticeships and attended TAFE one day every week. They were paid by their employer even for the day they attended TAFE.

[codyoprey]

A lot of TAFE qualifications are recognised by universities for credits, so starting education in TAFE can get you directly into the workforce, and if you extend the education to a uni degree, students are usually well ahead of those in their uni classes because the tafe student already has industry experience. And likely working concurrently.

[libbypeace]

I visited TAFE yesterday as a 'client' for my daughter's Nail Technician course. She began year 11 last year but finished after first term deciding to go to TAFE. She did an assistant hairdressing course initially (for free) but then moved onto the nail technician course (also free) which her teacher says she has a skill for. This has helped her decide that she wants to follow the beauty line of work.

I did TAFE in the 80s. Firstly an after school course to learn typing (free) and then after leaving Year 10 I did a full time secretarial course at TAFE which was the same as school hours (Mon to Fri, 9am to 3.30pm). My ultimate employer would ring the TAFE asking for recommendations of the students doing the course. I worked in the same legal firm for 30 years from 1985 at the age of 17.

[fional]

My kids (who are both in university now) went to a public high school here in Victoria that offered streamed senior classes for students who showed aptitude for trades. Students who aimed to work in hospitality, hairdressing, building industry etc all had options, and were celebrated for their achievements just as much as the academically inclined students. It takes all sorts to make a functioning society and I (as a university graduate myself) think TAFE is an excellent thing that should be available to anyone who wants to follow those pathways.

[Alex.The.Lionnnnn]

I spent 6 years studying a double science degree at UNSW. Then 2 years studying a Masters of Teaching. I was then a primary school teacher for 5 years. Now I'm a truck driver who spent 8 years studying chemistry, physics, pharmacology, physiology and teaching. The moral of the story is that I would never have got a job driving a truck without 3 degrees. 😂😂😂

[AndrewBellsWorld]

I did a 4 year drafting diploma at TAFE in the 80's via a traineeship at a state government electricity corporation. It really set me up for my whole career as one of the first to utilize computerized drafting. I now work for a global engineering software company supporting the software I was initially trained to work with. In many circumstances you can get a higher paying job through courses at TAFE than what going to University can offer.

[kattjovi]

When I went to TAFE in my 50's to learn about getting into the Retail Industry.. They recommended Cert 1 in Vocational Preparation (it was a prerequisite to get into Cert 2 of Retail). This course was aimed at those who were unsure about what they wanted to do.. It covered various things such as Briggs Meyers tests to find out your strengths, which then showed you the type of jobs that may suit you, how to do a CV or resume, how to do basic computer skills & emails & job seeking online. The ages in my class ranged from me at 55 to 17 year olds who'd left school & weren't sure what to do with themselves. It was so good to see people's confidence in themselves start to blossom. TAFE is brilliant!!!

[margi]

My sister is a TAFE teacher (over 30 years) in Early Childhood Education. She started her career as a preschool teacher and did a uni course to upgrade her qualifications in the same field to teach at TAFE. At her graduation some of the 3rd year students provided a musical interlude. They became the Wiggles. She could retire, but loves teaching at TAFE.

[threedesignstas]

48 year old currently doing a Cert 4 at TAFE, love learning.

[sandrabarton]

I’m 45 and just started a TAFE education. I was eligible so I get it for free. It’s fantastic because most of the teachers are retired workers in the field you are studying for. I also went to uni when I was 18 and have a degree which really didn’t give me the experience I needed. So for me it’s a great way to change your career practically.

[joannedickie]

We also encourage Work Experience during the last years of high school where students go & do a week of work during their school holidays in a job they are considering as an occupation. Our son wanted to be a motorcycle mechanic so my husband arranged for him to do a week's work experience at a motorcycle engineering shop owned by my husband's mate. Our son enjoyed it that much he spent his entire school holidays doing work experience & went back during subsequent holidays. He was not a very motivated school student, but after doing the work experience he realised he needed to improve his reading skills to read workshop manuals & improve his maths for workshop machining calculations. His school results improved markedly & he was offered an apprenticeship where he had been doing his work experience. His employer paid for him to attend TAFE one day a week & he found himself top of his class in the small engines engineering course.