Fee-Free TAFE – success story collection
Fee-Free TAFE - success story collection
Through the Fee-Free TAFE Skills Agreement (formerly known as the 12-Month Skills Agreement), the Commonwealth Government has partnered with states and territories to deliver over $1.5 billion funding for 500,000 Fee-Free TAFE and vocational education and training (VET) places across Australia over 2023 to 2026. More information on this agreement can be viewed on the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website.
With this story collection TDA aims to celebrate the successful implementation of the Fee-Free TAFE program by TDA members and the positive impact on individuals and priority groups benefiting from this initiative. Explore these inspiring stories below and see how Fee-Free TAFE is transforming lives and communities across Australia.

Gina cultivates a new ‘course of life’
Gina was initially inspired to get into gardening due to the COVID pandemic.
“Not being able to easily access fresh food because everything had closed down, I had to rely on my herbs and vegetable garden,” Gina explained.
“But after having had back and neck issues for many years, I decided to purchase a raised vegepod garden.”
“I started with one and now have two large, two medium and one small sized vegepods. I purchased the vegepods due to the fact that they have built in covers that protect from pest problems and also a wicking bed design, which means that don’t need to be watered all the time.”
After neck surgery in September 2022, Gina found gardening to be very therapeutic and rewarding.
“I have found gardening has been great for my mental health after living with chronic pain for so many years. Having your hands in the soil is the best medication around and it gives your brain something else to think about for a while,” said Gina.
For Gina, the decision to pursue further education, especially after a long break, was quite challenging, but she thought studying a Fee-Free TAFE funded horticulture course was a great way to gain new skills and open up potential employment opportunities.

Hobart chef returns to learning with Fee Free TAFE
Shayne Jupp – Juppy to his friends – has been around the Tasmanian hospitality scene for 3 decades. Recently, thanks to Fee Free TAFE, he returned to TasTAFE to complete his Certificate III in Hospitality.

Mitchel says it’s never too late to chase an apprenticeship
Mitchel Smith is one of a growing number of mature people taking on and completing an apprenticeship, thanks to his employer and CQUniversity TAFE. He says it’s never too late to give it a go, especially with the recent release of a new Queensland Government initiative.

From single parent to student of the year: How FEE FREE TAFE changed Pinar’s life
Pinar came to Australia in 2008 and soon after became a single parent to two children.
She started volunteering and studying Diploma of Community Services to follow her passion for community work, ultimately awarded Bendigo TAFE’s 2022 Student of the Year and was a finalist for the 2023 Victorian Training Awards Vocational Student of the Year.
“If it wasn’t for Free TAFE, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to study,” Pinar said.

Big future in art on horizon for Noemi
“In an outer remote town like Airlie Beach, there are not many options for studying and developing a professional career. CQUniversity along with the Fee-Free TAFE program gave me the opportunity to finally study this course online from home.”

Leah-Rose’s journey in youth work
Leah-Rose Hart, a proud Indigenous woman with connections to the Gundungurra and Darug peoples of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, is currently far from her Darug, pursuing a path with deep purpose and significance. Leah-Rose is completing her Certificate IV in Youth Work (CHC40421) at TAFE Queensland’s Springfield campus to then help those youth in her community who are struggling.

Annette’s dream of giving back is in good health with CQU and Free TAFE
Annette Wano is destined to make a difference to Mackay’s Torres Strait Islander community thanks to CQUniversity’s Nursing training and the Free TAFE initiative.
The proud Meriam Samsep woman is currently immersed in the final stages of her Diploma of Nursing, a dream she said wouldn’t have been possible without the Queensland Government’s Free Nursing initiative.

Leanne fulfills passion for health care with Fee Free TAFE
After 30 years of experience in office administration, Leanne Simpson wanted a change and decided to pursue her childhood passion of working in health care.
Free TAFE gave Leanne the opportunity – and the means – to take a leap, starting with a qualification in aged care, which led to her current job in residential aged care.
“It’s changed me as a person. Free TAFE has given me the opportunity to push myself and to realise I got skills I didn’t think I had. The learning capability. Being able to learn again and know that I can do it,” Leanne said.
Her love for supporting others has continued to flourish, with the 59-year-old now enrolled in the Free TAFE Diploma of Nursing (HLT54121) at Kangan Institute to expand her career options.

Fee-Free TAFE and CQU help Cimah start a new path into health industry
Cimah Orion-Williamson once dreamed of being a park ranger, but now she’s pursuing a passion for helping people thanks to CQUniversity and the Fee-Free TAFE program.
The Bundaberg woman decided to study a Diploma of Nursing at CQUniversity after trying to find employment in the parks and wildlife sector.

Learning new skills to support children’s development
Jack Kirk is pursuing his interest in working with children by studying the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care at TAFE SA.
“I enjoy being around children and I wanted to get back into studying, so I thought the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, which is a 12-month course, was a good starting point,” he says.
Jack, 21, says his decision to commit to full-time study in the vocational education and training sector was made easier by receiving a fee-free place as part of the State and Federal Government’s Fee Free TAFE initiative.

Kate Reid’s Career Change with FEE Free TAFE
Nursing was a career path Kate Reid always wanted to pursue, but the timing was never right.
The introduction of Free TAFE, combined with the flexible, supportive learning environment at GOTAFE helped Kate make the decision to enrol in the Diploma of Nursing (HLT54121) in 2021.
After a career in the human resources and business management world, Kate knew she wanted to make a difference through Nursing.

CQU and Fee-Free TAFE helps Rebekah care for Barcaldine’s seniors in need
Rebekah Gleeson-Cherry is fulfilling a dream of giving back to Barcaldine’s elderly generation after completing a Certificate III in Individual Support through Fee-Free TAFE at CQUniversity.