Vocational Courses

Vocational Education Training (VET) courses are an alternative to students to undertaking university studies. These courses are run by both private and public institutions, and offer practical learning opportunities in hands on work environments. As a result, students are prepared to enter the work force upon graduation. All of these institutions are subject to heavy government regulation to ensure that a high quality education is provided to all students.

VET colleges provide an extensive list of courses that students can enroll in including:

MechanicalHairdressingBusiness ManagementMarketingHospitality ManagementFitnessPhotographyFashion DesignTESOLChildcareAged careBeauty TherapyEvent ManagementAccounting

Students can choose to study different levels of courses that range in course length and difficulty. These courses include:

•  Certificate (I, II, III, IV) courses will provide students with a foundation of required skills for a designated job. These courses generally run for between 3 – 8 weeks in length.
• Diploma/Advanced Diploma courses run for between 6 months – 2 years in length, and are designed to provide students with a more thorough education on a particular industry. Throughout the course students will build up a wealth on practical experience that will set them up for a specific career. Quite often Diplomas will provide the students with direct entry into universities.

Some students choose to use the vocational education course as an entry into university. It is not uncommon for students to receive credit (i.e. academic recognition) at university for the work that they have completed in VET courses. In fact, many VET colleges actually have an agreement with nearby universities providing direct entry into courses.

Average Tuition Fees:

$3,600 – $20,000 per year depending on duration of course, type of course and the institution that students attend.

Most VET courses are run with local Australian and international students in the same class, so the general English requirement for entry is an IELTS exam result of 5.5 or higher. All students must also have completed at least 1 year of high school in their home country to be eligible to enroll.

Being able to interact with native speakers is an added bonus of studying VET courses, as the interaction will surely improve an international student’s English skills and provide an avenue to make friends with locals.

Students will usually have between 20 – 30 hours of face-to-face class time per week.

The qualifications that students receive upon graduation from VET colleges are not only recognised within Australia, but they are also often recognised in countries across the globe.

Feel free to contact Pathway to Aus for further information on VET courses