Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses provide you with dexterity in specific employment industries rather than theoretical knowledge. They are considered to be the need of the era as it increases the chances of getting job opportunities in Australia. VET courses in Australia provide for training and indenture ships to refurbish skills of students in their chosen career.
The latest statistics show that the number of international students studying in Australia, as of October 2020, has experienced a growth of 10% since October 2018. Out of a total of 738,107 international students pursuing their degree in Australia , 29% are enrolled in the VET sector.
Despite such high standards, the Australian government is constantly trying to improve its Vocational Education and Training education. For that reason , in 2020 ,government funding in VET increased by 3.2% as compared to previous year. It is only the consequence of the Australian government’s concerted efforts that 56% of VET graduates improved their employment status after vocational training in Australia (2020).
Who offers Vocational Education and Training in Australia?
- Registered Training Organisations (RTO) discharge vocational education and training in Australia. These can be owned by the Australian Government or privately-owned training organisations. All RTO’s in Australia are listed on the National Training Information Service (NTIS). All RTO’s in Australia are listed on the National Training Information Service (NTIS).
- Education provided by private institutions - A privately-run RTO is owned and operated by a company often specialising in a particular industry or niche. They often employ teams of trainers who are experts in their respective fields who have years of experience working in the sector themselves. However, these are more likely to offer all or a proportion of their training online.
- Education provided by government institutions (Technical and Further Education ): A government-run RTO i.e. Technical and Further Education (TAFE) is financed, owned and operated by the Australian government. Also called technical or career courses, these courses cover a wide variety of professions and trades.TAFE courses are great for a broad certification, though class sizes tend to be larger. They specialise in classroom delivery rather than online and are often cheaper to pursue higher education in Australia.
Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) Levels
AQF is the national policy for regulated qualifications in Australian education and training. It encompasses the qualifications from each education and training sector into a single comprehensive national qualifications framework.
The AQF provides a framework of ‘AQF levels’, which contain one or more qualification types. These levels are an indication of the relative complexity and/or depth of achievement This is expressed in terms of the knowledge and skills required by a student.
In VET education, AQF qualification types are mentioned below :
| Vocational Education and Training Course Levels | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate l | 4-6 months | Basic level knowledge and skills in specific industry fields. |
| Certificate ll | About 1 year | Technical and procedural knowledge with basic cognitive and communication skills. |
| Certificate lll | About 1 year | Industry skills to perform routine professional activities. |
| Certificate lV | 12 to 18 months | Extensive substantive and technical knowledge to provide solutions to unpredictable problems in the workplace. |
| Diploma | 18 to 24 months | Applied skills for entrepreneurial & professional careers. |
| Advanced Diploma | 24 to 36 months | Advanced level of practical and substantive skills to find solutions and transfer knowledge to other colleagues. |
However, in some institutes, Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma qualifications are also provided at AQF level 8.
Popular Programs to Study Under Vocational Education and Training In Australia
For an international student, a vocational course can be an excellent springboard to get admission to study in Australia. Apart from this, these degrees are highly sought after in the Australian labour market. The survey reports stating 78.8% of VET qualification completers in 2020 received at least one job-related benefit in Australia is a testimony to that.
| Institutes | Popular Programs | Fees in AUD | Duration | Entry Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Vocational Education & Training Academy | Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management | 16,650 | 2 years | Minimum Age -18 years Have obtained an IELTS score of at least 5.5 - or equivalent |
| Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology | Diploma of Accounting | 11,500 | Full-time 6 months | Any of the English proficiency tests offered by the University. |
| Melbourne Polytechnic | Certificate IV in Interior Decoration | 16,352 | 12 Months | Australian Year 12 equivalency IELTS 5.5 overall with no individual band below 5.0, or equivalency |
| Southern Academy of Business & Technology | Diploma of Accounting | 10,500 | 78 weeks | Minimum Age – 18 years Completion of studies equivalent to an Australian Year 12 qualification |
| Australian Vocational Training Institute | Diploma of Business | 10,000 | 52 weeks | Minimum age- 18 years IELTS band score of 5.5 or equivalent |
Vocational Education and Training at Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Australia
In Australia, VET is provided by registered training organisations encompassing both public and private providers in a national training framework. Every region in Australia has its TAFE institutes, many of which have campuses spread across all the major cities and towns.
For instance, these include:
- Canberra Institute of Technology (Australian Capital Territory)
- North Metropolitan TAFE (TAFE West Australia)
- Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE (TAFE Victoria)
- TAFE NSW (New South Wales)
- TAFE South Australia
- TAFE Northern territory
- Tasmania TAFE and the Australian Maritime College.
- Central Gippsland Institute of TAFE ( TAFE Victoria)
- William Angliss Institute of TAFE (Specialist: Hospitality – TAFE Victoria)
TAFE colleges generally award qualifications up to advanced diploma levels. TAFE study can provide individuals with partial credit for bachelor degree-level university programs. It provides an accessible, affordable and flexible edification. It helps to explore one's skills, improves English skills and sometimes even a road to University.
How is TAFE (Technical and Further Education) different from Universities in Australia?
TAFE has provided for hands-on experiential training while Universities in Australia has been viewed as the bastion of academic knowledge, theory and research.
Most Australian University amenities like large grounds, libraries, and sporting facilities have always enticed students for further study. More recently, a wide range of food offerings and medical centres are available on campus and dispensing comfort to the students.
- There used to be a more scholastic approach to typical TAFE amenities with limited student services.
- However, as university are setting the bar higher, and hence, students are also demanding better TAFE spaces to socialise and study
- Hence, in comparison, universities tend to have a much larger pool of their funds to draw from, leading to more development with a long-term master plan.
- Qualifications provided by TAFE take from 6 months to 2 years, whereas University degrees which take a minimum of 3 years to complete . A VET course ranges from AUD 4000 to 22,000 AUD per year whereas a University bachelor degree course ranges from AUD 15,000 to 33,000 AUD per year.
In the end, one has to understand that University alone often isn’t enough to equip you with the job-ready skills when you graduate but TAFE institutes do make students industry-ready through VET courses.
VET Courses offered at TAFE Australia (H2)
| Course | Qualification | Fees in AUD | TAFE Institute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma of Business Certificate in Business | Accounts Supervisor, Project Manager, Small Business Manager, Human Resource Manager, etc. | 6,240 | TAFE Western Australia |
| Diploma of Horticulture | Horticultural Manager . | 11,370 | TAFE Queensland |
| Certificate III in Commercial Cookery | A cook and/or trainee chef | 6,400 | TAFE Victoria |
| Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation | Light Vehicle /Heavy Vehicle/Automotive Electrical Technician, etc. | 4,911 | Tasmania TAFE |
| Certificate lV in Leadership and Management | Sales Team Manager, Administrative Supervisor, Warehouse Team Leader, Line Manager, etc. | 1,580 | TAFE NSW Sydney |
Explore Scholarships to study in Australia
Jobs and Career Scope of VET Education in Australia
In Australia, workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level. Employees in all sectors see a 8% salary increment in every 16 months whereas across the world it is 3% in every 16 months. Hence , we can conclude that Australia provides a persistent salary increment to employees.
Analysis of jobs and average salaries in Australia can be done in many ways, some of them have been given below:
| Top VET Sector | Average Salary in AUD | Positions Offered |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources | 93,000-107,000 |
Executive HR HR Generalist Manager Junior Manager |
| IT & Software Development | 97,000-162,000 |
IT Architect Researcher Senior Developer Senior Manager Junior Manager |
| Sales & Business Development | 84,000-150,000 |
Senior Manager Manager Junior Manager Entry Level |
| Marketing, Product & Communications | 82,000- 101,000 |
Senior Manager Manager Analyst Junior Manager Entry Level |
The above analysis provides a rough idea about jobs in the VET sector and average salaries . Some of the top recruitment agencies in Australia are - Lloyd Connect Melbourne, Adecco: Australia's Leading Recruitment Agency , Robert Walters Australia , Hudson Recruitment Agency , Michael Page, Manpower Australia , Chandler MacLeod ,etc.
To conclude, Australia has many incentives for International students to pursue VET courses there as it not only provides functional skills and a business-like environment to evolve but also proffer guaranteed employment and earning opportunities. They are not only viable in terms of cost but the fact that most of the RTOs are government-owned also provides a sort of reliability to the students.
Sometimes, students might need to do 2-3 certification courses but the fact their duration is less than degree courses attracts students especially drop-outs who want to earn. Quality of education is, as known by all, much higher in Australia and hence, a VET certification course on the CV would only bring laurels to students.
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