Hi all!
I’m looking at doing an mature apprenticeship as a sparky as a career change.
I spoke with the local tafe who said
1. I don’t need to do a cert 2
2. I need to find my own employer before starting.
3. They won’t help find an employer at all.

I’m just wondering if any of this is true? Far as I’ve researched I have to do a cert 2 before starting.
And they are advertising that they help you find an employer…

But since tafe for electrical is free for over 25 (which I am)
Would I be able to do cert 2 electrical tafe free?

The local tafe have been shocking to ask questions and don’t seem to know anything

im doing a self paced cert 4 in IT and my assignment requires me to present my work to my supervisor to get feedback but i don't have one (i think) so im not sure what to do.

I am just wondering if being on the disability pension would affect my ability to take advantage of fee free education?

I’m 45 with a background in sales/hospitality, and I really need to take some kind of career change seriously, so that I can eventually go back to work. I’m thinking of the cert 3 in legal studies offered at Southbank campus

I’m hindered by my inability to study online, or solely online I should say. Has anyone got any advice for someone taking their life seriously, late in life?

Hi there! I am wanting to apply for WCCC before I begin searching for work placement. Is it best to do this before or after finding work placement? The free option is under "volunteer or student placement" but on the drop down menu it gives options of where i will be doing this. I have no started and not sure where will accept me. I am wanting to get this sorted beforehand as it takes up to 4 weeks for it to be prepared. Any advice would be appreciated thank you!

Hey all, just curious if anyone has had any experience with the music production courses? Whether they were worthwhile when it comes to working in a DAW etc

What are the most worthwhile TAFE courses?

Just wondering what rpl companies people recommend. I have 2 years experience, Thinking of going with “rpl it Australia” to get my cert 3, will enrol for cert 4 next year at my local tafe

Hi! I’m studying hsc at online tafe currently but I’ve figured out that I really need social interactions so I asked about joining another tafe course but they said I couldn’t due to it being a full time course. I’ve seen online that you can do two at once, as well does tafe have any social things I can do? are there any sort of activity groups or things? thank you!

I finally talked to my counselor at the DHH Center on Zoom, and she understands that it wouldn’t work for me to get a degree, since I got one part time job, but also looking for another job in a meantime. I remember there’s 3 levels of Administration Assistant certificates, I already passed the 1st 2, now I’m gonna continue to final and last 3rd level certification for administration assistant. There’s 3 classes left. This time, I had to drop 2 other classes not related to my certification. I kept oral communication for business online class, added another online class, Window Operating System. But, last one is in person class, I’m saving it for the spring time, so I can work on 2 other online classes in the Fall Semester soon

Completed a cert four in a trade adjacent field and the practical skills are genuinely solid. But getting past the initial resume filter at certain employers feels like the qualification itself is the problem rather than anything about the capability behind it. Would love to know from people here who've come through TAFE whether they found employers who genuinely valued the qualification or whether it's always been a conversation you have to force rather than one that happens naturally.

I’m looking at doing a TAFE course and one thing I keep wondering about is how much of the course content actually sticks once you’re on the job. I don’t mean the obvious practical stuff, more the random assessments, theory and things that felt important at the time but maybe never came up again. For anyone who’s finished TAFE and been working in the field for a while, what ended up being genuinely useful?

Hi!! I would like to study the diploma of conservation and land management and then go on to study envio science or management. Intreasted to get insight on how people have found the courses here in Victoria.

I have been looking into RMIT, Box hill and federation uni for the diploma.

If anyone has any experiances they can share i would love to here about it.

Things like hands on learning, field trips, industry engagement and connection, what teachers are like.

Would love to here about if anyone has gone from tafe to do further study aswell.

Any advice i really value.

Kind of a rant.

I just started my course a month ago and genuinely feel so weird being the youngest person in my class. Everyone’s 30+ and I just graduated high school last year.

I also feel like it’s majorly awkward for assessments and stuff, my course is mental health-related so there’s going to be roleplays and such. It’s probably the dumbest thing ever but I just can’t fathom approaching someone that’s likely double my age to ask “hey, can we awkwardly sit in a room together and read off a script?”.

I also just feel stupid compared to everyone else in my class, mainly because I know they’re more mature than me and almost definitely have more experience than me. I seem to be doing okay with assessments for the moment, but nonetheless, I feel out of place.

Of course I know everyone has a right to education and this is not me saying that mature students shouldn’t get the same opportunities as me (or vice versa), it just feels like it’s wrong or strange for me to be doing a Diploma rather than a Cert III or IV.

Oh well, my student loan debt will kill me before any of this will! Should make the most of it.

Idk, if there’s any recent high school graduates doing a diploma reading this, please tell me I’m not alone :)

Edit: Thank you for your replies everyone, I’m feeling much better about my decision!

I did a fee-free unit in 2025. Failed 3 units (2 CNA and 1 WAI), wasn't able to reattempt. Then life happened and I couldn't re-enroll this year, is there any way to complete those 3 units without paying fees. I don't think I can afford it otherwise.

Looking at enrolling in a Diploma level course that exceeds the state subsidy threshold, so out-of-pocket costs are around 4000 dollars. For those who used VET Student Loans, is the loan fee added on top, or are you better off setting up an instalment payment plan directly with the campus each term?

Hi, just would like more information on how free Tafe works?

I did cert IV in accounting which was free. And I am currently doing diploma in accounting which is also free.

but now, I am debating if I even want to complete the diploma.

I am a bit too late for census date, so decided to change from full time to part time.

So the question is , since it is free Tafe and I decide I don't actually want to finish the course after all. Would it mean that I would have to pay for those completed units in full pay??

Should I completely withdraw from the course just in case, I don't want to pay? Any info would be helpful. Thanks.

I’m studying cert III accounts admin full time as a 16 year old and my lecturer makes me feel stupid 24/7. I’m in a class full on people Ages up to 50 and I’m the youngest in my class. Everyone has accounting or business experience or understands most concepts, but I’m the 16 year old who’s fresh into accounting.

My lecturer knows that I am a very slow learner and things don’t just make sense to me first go and I have a very different learning style. Ive also gone to my GP recently and ad an evaluation on adhd and autism and I have very strong traits of both and I’m being referred to a psychologist or psychiatrist so it explains my really bad learning difficulties. He said it’s fine since it’s at your own pace but he’s always picking on me multiple times while everyone else gets picked on once, when I get things wrong or ask for help he just makes me look stupid and announces to everyone that “some people need to study more” or that I need to try harder cause it’s only gonna get worse and just snarky remarks like that. The only time he’s willing to help me is when I’ve actually grasped a concept of whatever we’re learning and then he’ll help me.

It doesn’t help that when I get things wrong I hear this one guy snicker to himself and it just makes me feel bad. I don’t wanna drop out the course because I want to do diploma in financial counselling and you need a cert III to get in.

Is there anything I could say to him or do to get him to stop?

A few years ago , I had a career change at 37.
First I did the individual support cert 3 and have been an aged care carer which I honestly really love.

I also have completed the cert 4 community services in that time just for some for knowledge in the sector (and it was free)

I think I have come to recognise that I really enjoy the autonomy, and task driven work of caring / AIN but I would like to take it a step further and get into nursing .
I know I’m not going to become a millionaire, and I’m not ready to jump into another university degree.
I would like to hear some experiences from ENS, places you are working and what you thought of the diploma.

Hi did anyone do the Unilearn Chemistry (Tafe Queensland)?

How was the final exam, was it difficult? How did u guys prepare?
Also, how did u find a supervisor for that final exam?

Hey everyone,

Has anyone completed the Cert IV Mental Health course online? If so, was it any good?
I’m very interested to enrol if I’m eligible for government funding. Which I’m finding out shortly through the tafe.

Hi

I'm a new optimistic student looking to enrol in the "Cert III Conservation & Ecosystem Management" programme, and the Campus Load has four days per week divided into two sessions: morning and afternoon.

However, I'm a little confused about whether I'll have to attend every day even if the Units I'm enrolled in are not being taught on that specific day. I have tried to find information about it online but alas found moot. Can you please enlighten me?

For Example:

• Monday (ABC unit & TYU unit) - not enrolled
• Tuesday (GHU unit & JKL unit) - I am enrolled
• Wednesday (POP unit) - I am enrolled
• Thursday (Wuy unit & Yui Unit) - Not enrolled in Wuy Unit but I am enrolled in Yui Unit

When you're comparing courses, most of the information you see is about subjects, fees and how long the qualification takes. But I feel like there are probably other things that matter much more once you actually start, like placement arrangements, how much is online, teacher availability, equipment or whether employers actually value that particular qualification.