Technical and Further Education

In Australia, Technical and Further Education or TAFE refers to institutions which offer a wide range of post-secondary education and training, generally in vocational fields (such as hospitality, tourism, construction, woodwork, secretarial skills, etc), often at a level of difficulty below that of a corresponding or related university course.

TAFE colleges in Australia are owned, operated and financed by the various State and Territory Governments. This is in contrast to universities which are not-for-profit organisations funded by the Federal Government. Some universities however, such as the Northern Territory University and RMIT University, have TAFE sections.

In most States, the system of TAFE colleges are divided up into several Institutes corresponding to various regions. Each Institute consists of several campuses. For instance, the Illawarra Institute of Technology covers the south-eastern portion of the State of New South Wales with campuses in Wollongong, Dapto, Shellharbour, Bomaderry, Queanbeyan and Moruya, among many others.

Other TAFE Institutes in New South Wales include:

• Sydney Institute of Technology
• Western Institute of TAFE
• South Western Sydney Institute of TAFE
• Hunter Institute of TAFE

In Western Australia these include:

• Central TAFE
• Challenger TAFE
• Swan TAFE
• West Coast College of TAFE

External Links

• TAFE NSW: http://www.tafe.nsw.edu.au
• TAFE WA: http://www.tafe.wa.gov.au/