Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers typically offer courses with Certificate I classification all the way up to Advanced Diploma classification:

1. Certificate I (AQF level 1) – typical course duration is 6 months to 1 year
2. Certificate II (AQF level 2) – typical course duration is 6 months to 1 year
3. Certificate III (AQF level 3) – typical course duration is 1 to 2 years
4. Certificate IV (AQF level 4) – typical course duration is 6 months to 2 years
5. Diploma (AQF level 5) – typical course duration is 1 to 2 years
6. Advanced Diploma (AQF level 6) – typical course duration is 1.5 to 2 years

Delivered with emphasis on hands-on approach to learning and on equipping students with workplace-ready skills and knowledge, these courses lead to nationally recognised qualifications.  Vocational Education and Training (VET) provides students with skills and knowledge to enter the workforce, train for a new job, upgrade their skills, or pursue further study such as in university. From traditional trades such as plumbing, welding, mechanic, electrician to modern trades like computer technician and software developer to health-related occupations like enrolled nurse and dental technicians to business and commerce like bookkeeping and financial planning, to creative arts such as fashion and broadcast media, etc., there is a extensive selection of available VET courses one can study.  Many universities consider graduates of Certificate IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma courses as meeting the minimum entry requirements for a wide array of their undergraduate degree courses, and it’s also possible that completed VET courses can be credited towards the completion of some university degrees.           

Commonly referred to as RTO or Registered Training Organisation, a VET provider must be registered with the government and offer only accredited courses.  The Australian Skills Quality Authority (AQSA) is the national government agency that regulates the VET providers and the courses they offer to ensure that nationally approved quality standards are met. On top of that, RTO’s accepting international students must also be registered in the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).  An RTO can be government/public or private.  Example of government-run RTO’s include Technical and Further Education institutes (TAFE), secondary schools, colleges, and universities.  Private RTO’s are operated either by not-for-profit institutions or by commercial entities who specialise or are experts in the field they are teaching.  Through the years some RTO’s, after having satisfied the registration parameters/conditions set out by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, have also started to offer limited number of higher education courses, i.e., associate and Bachelor degree courses.