VET stands for Vocational Education and Training.

Vocational Training is an education system that focuses on preparing students and providing them with the skills and knowledge that are essential to entering the workforce, changing careers, upgrading skills or moving into further education. VET works with the government, TAFE and RTOs (Registered Training Organisations) to help build students’ professional toolkit to advance their career. VET offers more cost-effective and time-efficient routes for students, so that they can enter the workforce without the lengthy, costly processes that many other forms of education are infamous for.

VET FEE-HELP was the Government loan scheme that supports eligible students in paying their education fees for VET courses that are a diploma-level qualification or higher. This loan scheme now is known as VET Student Loans. VET Student Loan courses are only accessible to students who have chosen to study with approved providers that offer this scheme. To find out if your provider offers VET Student Loans, submit an enquiry on a course you are interested in studying and you will be put in touch with the provider to provide you with this information.

VET courses are offered through both public and private RTOs, generally via TAFE and private providers. Along with these institutions, VET training is also accessible through participating schools, as well as external community educational centres.

To be eligible to enter the VET system for further study, students are usually required to have completed a degree of study that is equivalent to Year 10, 11 or 12. Also, depending on the industry area, some creative courses that include design or art may also need a submission of a portfolio to be considered. Other requirements may need to be fulfilled, depending on the course provider and nature of study. To find out this information, it is best to contact your course provider via an enquiry form.

If you are looking to pursue higher education but do not meet the entry requirements, VET training can help. VET courses that are at the certificate IV, diploma and advanced diploma level once completed, can offer students with a pathway to meet the higher education sector’s entry requirements. Also, depending on the course type, some VET courses may offer credit towards a higher education course. This means that you may not need to complete the full duration of a course, as you’ve already covered some elements in your previous studies. Of course, this is all subjective to the institution and qualification, so it is important to check the finer details regarding pathways and credit procedures with the institution of your choice.

One of the key factors that makes Vocational Training so accessible, is the wide range of study methods offered by VET. With plenty of courses available online, as well as in class and a mixture of both, there is a course option to suit the needs of every student and their schedule.