All you need to know about competitive applications is here in this guide about bolstering your application.
So you’ve decided TAFE is the place for you and now it’s time to think about your application. There are only a certain amount of places for students to study in any given course, so it’s very important to put your best foot forward. So that you can stand out from the crowd and secure a spot in your chosen course, we’ve put together some top tips for doing your TAFE application.
- Give yourself lots of time. Apply early as doing your application might take longer than you thought.
- Set a reminder, or put the application dates in your diary. See the link at the end of the article for application dates.
- Have a backup plan if your first choice doesn’t work out. Consider the same course at different campuses and lower level certificates.
- Make preference 1 your dream gig, following by up to three more other options (you can have up to four).
- List all your qualifications and all the courses you have done, even short courses. Even if it’s not relevant, still list it.
- List all work experience, voluntary, paid, unpaid and community work. It doesn’t have to be related to the course you want to study as you will have gained transferable skills that are worth consideration. Gather as much evidence of these as you can, such as payslips, payment summaries and references.
- Check your contact details are correct, especially your email address.
- Check you have completed all questions/fields. Don’t leave anything blank.
- Check if your course has specific entry requirements by checking the course page on our website. Some requirements may be very specific to the course and can include a folio, Working With Children Check, First Aid Certificate or some other industry registration. The TAFE Admissions Guide(opens in a new tab) sets out the literacy and numeracy requirements for competitive and non-competitive qualifications.
- Check you are requesting the right level course. You may be too experienced or inexperienced to start at a specific level. Check the training package or full time studies guide for more information.
We hope this answers some of your questions, but if you are still unsure, you can always talk to your local Jobs and Skills Centre for careers, apprenticeship and traineeship and employment advice and assistance.
Don’t forget - application dates change each semester intake. Find out more about our application dates on our Key Dates page.
Good luck!