Nursing has topped the list of workers in demand as the Albanese Government’s Fee-Free TAFE program continues to give hundreds of thousands of Australians the opportunity to obtain skills that give them access to long-term, stable, and well-paid jobs.

With more than half of the 2023 Skills Priority List top 20 occupations in demand nationally having direct VET pathways it’s never been a better time to look at skilling up or changing careers with the government funding an additional 300,000 Fee-Free TAFE and VET places from January next year.

Nurses, software programmers, motor mechanics, child carers, aged and disability carers, metal fitters, electricians, social workers, chefs and construction managers are all examples of occupations on the top 20 list with direct VET entry pathways.

The Albanese Government is today launching a nation-wide advertising campaign to encourage more Australians to start studying a Fee-Free TAFE or VET course in areas of current and future workforce demand.

The Fee-Free TAFE program has significantly exceeded our target of 180,000 enrolments in the first year, with more than 215,000 Australians enrolling to study in the first 6-months. The Albanese Government is funding an additional 300,000 Fee-Free TAFE and VET places from January next year.

If you’re leaving school, looking for work, or wanting to upskill and change your career, you may be eligible with a range of study options on offer.

Fee-Free TAFE prioritises training for students that traditionally face barriers to work and study including: First Nations people, young people aged 17-24, job seekers, unpaid carers, women in non-traditional fields of study and people with disability.