VACC criticises Victorian Free TAFE expansion that leaves out automotive apprentices

Six apprenticeships added to Free TAFE for 2027

The Victorian Government has announced that six priority apprenticeships will be added to the state's Free TAFE program from 2027, with the government covering the cost of the first year of tuition fees for apprentices who start one of these courses at TAFE. The announcement was made by Deputy Premier and Minister for Skills and Training Gabrielle Williams and published through the Premier's office on 29 October 2026. ³⁴

The six courses listed on the official vic.gov.au and apprenticeships.vic.gov.au pages are the Certificate III in Bricklaying and Blocklaying, Certificate III in Carpentry, Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician, Certificate III in Plumbing, Certificate III in Baking and Certificate III in Hairdressing. The government describes them as qualifications in areas where there is high demand for apprentices, including housing construction, clean energy, hairdressing and baking. ²⁴

The official apprenticeships page notes the change is intended to make it more affordable for businesses, especially small businesses, to take on new apprentices, and says it removes a potential barrier where some apprentices pay tuition fees up front and are reimbursed later by their employer. No automotive qualification appears on the published list of six. ²

$1 billion Skills First investment in 2027

The Victorian Government says it is investing $1 billion in the Skills First program in 2027, helping around 130,000 Victorians access Free TAFE and subsidised training. According to the Premier's media release, subsidised training places will be available in 490 courses and short courses, including more than 80 Free TAFE courses, at more than 130 TAFEs, Learn Locals and registered training organisations across the state. ³

The Premier's release also says Free TAFE has removed barriers to training for 267,000 Victorians, saving them $930 million, and describes the program as a joint initiative between the Australian Government and the Victorian Government. These are government figures and claims reported from its own announcement rather than independently audited results. ³

The government says it reviews the courses it subsidises each year to ensure it is investing in the highest priority training with strong industry demand, and directs prospective students and employers to vic.gov.au/free-tafe for more information. The Apprentice Helpdesk is available on 1300 311 820 for questions about 2027 apprenticeships. ²³

VACC: automotive again left out despite shortages

The Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce says automotive apprentices have been left out of the expansion. VACC chief executive Peter Jones says automotive technicians are a recognised shortage occupation and questions why the industry continues to miss out amid what he describes as significant workforce shortages. His comments were reported by AutoTalk Australia in the publication's coverage of the announcement. ¹

"We welcome investment in apprenticeships, but it is difficult to understand why automotive continues to miss out when our industry is facing such significant workforce shortages," Jones said, according to AutoTalk. "Jobs and Skills Australia has consistently identified automotive technicians among occupations experiencing skills shortages. The evidence is clear, yet automotive apprentices are once again being left out of this additional support." ¹

The VACC says it employs about 560 apprentices and trainees through its group apprenticeship scheme and describes itself as Australia's largest single employer of automotive apprentices. AutoTalk reports the chamber warned in August that proposed Victorian apprenticeship reforms could worsen the skills shortage. These figures and characterisations are the VACC's own claims about its operations. ¹

"Incentives should be available across all trades facing critical skills shortages, not just a select few," Jones said in the AutoTalk report, adding that the chamber is asking the Victorian Government for a level playing field so automotive businesses receive the same support offered to other industries when investing in the next generation of skilled workers. ¹

Earlier budget context for the expansion

The apprenticeship addition builds on a larger skills package announced in the 2026-27 Victorian Budget. Reporting by student journalists at the University of Melbourne, published on Kendra News Australia, cites the Victorian Government's April 2026 media release describing a $459.4 million investment in skills and training delivering additional Free TAFE places in 2027, supporting an estimated 15,000 more students. ⁶

That budget reporting also cites government figures of more than 60,800 students currently enrolled in Free TAFE, the highest level in over a decade, and more than 245,000 Victorians supported since the program began, saving more than $816 million in tuition fees. It notes the Free TAFE Guarantee has been enshrined in law. As with the October announcement, these enrolment and savings figures originate from the Victorian Government rather than an independent audit. ⁶

Interstate context and what remains open

The Victorian announcement follows the first state Free TAFE Agreement signed nationally. In a ministerial release published on 21 October 2026, the NSW Government said the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments had locked in a $560 million joint investment delivering around 160,000 Free TAFE and training places in New South Wales across five years from 2027, the first agreement since the Free TAFE Act passed the Australian Parliament. ⁵

For Victoria's 2027 program, the government has not published the full rationale for how the six priority apprenticeships were selected, and the announced list contains no automotive qualification. Whether the annual course review process will bring automotive apprenticeships into Free TAFE in future years is not addressed in the published materials. The VACC says it will continue pressing for incentives across all trades facing critical skills shortages. ¹³