Welcome!

TAFE NSW is Australia's largest training provider, and it is among the largest in the world. The letters 'TAFE' stand for Technical and Further Education, and, for hundreds of thousands of people each year, it also stands for high quality, accessible training.

TAFE NSW prides itself on offering quality education tailored to suit your needs. Whether you're looking for your first job, a promotion or a career change, or you want extra knowledge and skills to add to your enjoyment of life, TAFE NSW can deliver.

We offer relevant training and education in a way that makes sense in today's world. TAFE NSW courses and education programs are delivered flexibly – online, by distance, face-to-face, or by a combination of methods.

TAFE NSW Institutes

There are 10 Institutes within TAFE NSW, delivering a wide range of nationally recognised courses at more than 130 metropolitan and regional campuses. Many campuses specialise in study areas aligned with the work skills needs of local industry.

Your TAFE NSW campus is proud to be an integral part of your community. That pride and intimate knowledge mean our teachers, staff and courses can better respond to your needs.

Institute Advisory Councils

Each TAFE NSW Institute has an Institute Advisory Council – a representative body providing input on community, business and customer needs and issues, and offering direction for improved industry, community and student outcomes.

Access to TAFE NSW facilities

TAFE NSW Institutes have a range of well-equipped and well-maintained modern facilities that are available for hire, depending on availability.

Flexible study options

TAFE NSW courses have flexible delivery options, which means you can design a study schedule to suit your needs. The full-time weekly attendance is between 12 and 30 hours. Part-time study is less than 12 hours per week or less, or in short full-time blocks. Check with the campus running the course you wish to study to find out the study patterns it offers.

The Open Training and Education Network (OTEN) offers distance education programs to help you study from away from campus. OTEN courses are delivered by a range of media, such as printed lesson notes, online, satellite broadcasts, videos, audio cassettes and electronic mail. To find out which courses are available through OTEN, look for the words 'You can do this course through OTEN' in the course description. For further details about OTEN courses and enrolment, go to the OTEN website, or contact the OTEN Course Information Officer on phone (02) 9715 8333 or fax (02) 9715 8445.

Recognition for your previous study and skills

At TAFE NSW we recognise that skills you may have gained outside the formal education system might help you to do your course. When you apply for a TAFE NSW course you may be given recognition for the skills and knowledge you have already gained from your work, study and life experience.

Access to all

We understand that most students balance study with work and family commitments, and that students come from a huge variety of groups, ages and skills levels. TAFE NSW is proud of our diversity.

TAFE NSW runs many courses to help unemployed people get into or return to the workforce. TAFE NSW Aboriginal Coordinators at each campus can assist Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders access and study courses specifically designed for them. People from a non-English speaking background are welcome, and will find excellent TAFE NSW courses and services such as English language skills development to help them with their studies if they require them. Teacher consultants are available to assist people with disabilities complete their studies. Most TAFE NSW Institutes have Women's Strategy Officers who can offer advice about the services available to assist women students.

We realise that the time you spend with TAFE NSW should be rewarding in many ways. We provide an environment where you can strike a good balance between study, work and free time, and involve yourself in a wide range of sporting, social and cultural activities.

At TAFE NSW we pride ourselves on offering choices and opportunities in an environment where you can get the most out of our training and education programs, to help you get the most out of life.

Quality

Our primary focus for quality in TAFE NSW is to optimise learning and professional development opportunities for our students and staff.

TAFE NSW is an organisation that supports continuous improvement to deliver consistently high-standard, flexible and innovative products and services.

TAFE NSW Quality Awards

The TAFE NSW Quality Awards provide the medium through which TAFE NSW recognises the contributions that teachers and staff make to ongoing quality improvement processes.

Introduced in 1995 by the NSW TAFE Commission Board, the Quality Awards support continuous improvement of our staff based on teamwork, a systematic approach and quality principles.

By sharing the knowledge gained from team projects each year, we are able to support and foster further innovation, enhancing the quality of teaching and learning provided to our students.

Annual reports, student satisfaction surveys and other benchmarking

Each TAFE NSW Institute produces an annual reports and routinely conducts surveys and other benchmarking exercises to make sure that it is working to meet client expectations.

Support services

Our campuses offer a range of services to help you study more successfully. These include tutorial support, career and counselling advice, childcare centres, Student Associations and libraries. Phone your local campus to find out more about the services it provides. See Support services.

Questions?

If you have any questions about courses or TAFE NSW in general, contact the course information officer at your local campus.

The TAFE NSW Information Centre can also help you.

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The Complete Package – The Value of TAFE NSW