TAFE SA 2021 offers: Search the list here

Want to know who’ll be studying at TAFE this year? Check out the full list of names.

Apprentices James Corral and Holly Ashworth. Picture: Mark Brake

Courses in nursing and pathology are most in demand in the 7629 offers made by TAFE SA to students in the main 2021 intake.

This was followed by animal studies and veterinary nursing, dental, beauty therapy and electrical and renewable energy.

Most of those courses are full for the start of Semester 1 next month.

TAFE SA chief executive David Coltman said it was pleasing there was continued strong demand for courses as the organisation prepares to be a key contributor to the state’s COVID-19 recovery.

“TAFE SA continues to provide students across the state with flexible study options, with training delivered by expert lecturers to ensure our graduates are prepared for the workforce,” he said.

However, Opposition education spokesman Blair Boyer said it was very disappointing that offers had fallen by 1100 compared to 2020.

He was particularly concerned TAFE SA had stopped teaching several courses aimed at skilling the workforce in caring for the aged and disabled and early childhood.

“These are really vital and key areas of public training,” he said.

TAFE last year dropped some 20 courses, mostly in metropolitan Adelaide, and introduced about the same number of courses in other fields such as wine industry operations, civil construction and mining exploration.

Mr Coltman pledged that the institution was “committed to investing in new initiatives to improve our student experience – from campus upgrades to new technology and infrastructure, and this is happening right across the state”.

He also said TAFE worked with industry to decided on its courses.

Students Holly Ashworth and James Corral said TAFE was an excellent place to learn skills — and those signing up to study should give it all they’ve got.

“You’ve got to be 100 per cent in it,” Ms Ashworth said. “It’s a big commitment.

“You can’t be half-hearted.”

An apprentice chef, Ms Ashworth said she loved the job but it was hard work.

Mr Corral, an apprentice in refrigeration and airconditioning, added to that.

“Learn from your mistakes,” he said.

“Everybody makes mistakes – if you learn from them, that’s good, if you don’t, that’s an issue.”

Both students said learning through TAFE had given them fantastic opportunities to build their skills.

“You learn the foundations at TAFE,” said Ms Ashworth, 20, a graduate of Loreto College.

“You get people working in all different areas coming to TAFE and you go back to the basics.

“You can spend time on things which your restaurant might not have time to teach you because of the rush of service and busy days.”

Ms Ashworth works at Stamps restaurant in Mitcham, which she described as a place to go for a special occasion.

She’s in the kitchen with a head chef and sous-chef and works on entrees, mains and desserts.

“The kitchen atmosphere and working as a team are things I really enjoy,” she said. The only downside is the hours, she said.

“But I’ll do it for a while, you’ve got to put yourself in it for at least 10 years to make a go of it,” she said,

Beyond that, she sees possibilities in food styling as well as travelling to work overseas.

Studying a Certificate III in commercial cookery, she was a finalist in the Apprentice Chef category of the 2020 Restaurant and Catering Hostplus Awards for Excellence SA.

Mr Corral said he enjoyed the challenges of the job, solving problems and constantly learning new things as technology advances.

“The trade in 20 years is going to very different from the way it is now,” he said.

In his field, he needs to understand plumbing and electricity as well as customer service.

An Unley High graduate, Mr Corral, 24, said TAFE was a good place to study.

“From my experience, TAFE is the best,” he said.

“I did a pre-vocational course at another registered training organisation and the facilities there were really sub-par.”

Mr Corral was named SA apprentice of the year by industry organisation the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating.

Mr Corral and Ms Ashworth said the low fees of TAFE and the fact they were paid as apprentices while studying had been very positive.

Each course takes about four years.