What is VET?

What does VET involve?
What kinds of courses are VET courses?
VET pathways
How is VET connected with industry?
Getting in and getting started

Vocational Education and Training (also known as VET) is education and training that focuses on providing skills for work. VET provides the skills to help people to:

• join the workforce for the first time
• re-join the workforce after a break
• upgrade skills in their chosen field
• move into a different career.

VET courses are offered in colleges, community centres, TAFE institutes and other registered training organisations (check www.training.gov.au ). Check out our TAFE page for more information. VET may be provided off-the-job in these organisations but also in a workplace environment. For example, workplace training is a significant part of all apprenticeships and traineeships.

What does VET involve?

It might be fair to say that many VET courses focus more on providing occupational skills, whereas university courses are better known at focusing on theory and professional career paths. There are many exceptions to this simple statement though because VET covers such a wide range of different courses and qualifications.

VET qualifications include certificates I, II, III and IV, diplomas, advanced diplomas and selected degrees.

VET courses cover:

• basic life skills, even literacy and numeracy training (e.g. pre-vocational training or foundation studies)
• Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships
• basic vocational skills for particular occupations (e.g. floristry, automotive)
• semi-professional vocational training (e.g. business advertising, occupational health and safety)
• degrees with a practical focus (e.g. viticulture, music, hospitality).

What kinds of courses are VET courses?

To get an idea of the range of VET courses available, and their outcomes, here are some examples of the fields of study available and the types of courses that correspond with each VET qualification in each field. We also tell you how these offerings might contrast with what is available at university.

VET pathways

One of the great things about VET is its pathway network. VET qualifications will help you to enter the workforce, but you can also continue building on your qualifications throughout your career. Completing one VET qualification will often give you credit for a more advanced qualification, either in the VET sector or even at university.

How is VET connected with industry?

Most VET courses are part of national training packages, which are updated regularly in consultation with relevant industry bodies. They also comprise of the same curriculum wherever you study them. So, if you need to move interstate during your course, you can transfer your credits to an identical program at a different organisation.

VET courses also have the advantage of being ‘competency based’, which means that you gain your qualification when the required skill level is achieved, rather than having to study a certain number of years before you can be recognised for completing a qualification.

Getting in and getting started

Entry requirements vary, depending on which institution and course you choose. You can read more about entry requirements at Getting into VET courses in the school leavers section or in the mature age section . Applications for some courses need to be submitted to independent agencies, called Tertiary Admissions Centres, in each state and territory. You can ask your preferred TAFE institute or RTO for details.

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