The Victorian TAFE Association (VTA) is calling for a $2.5 billion investment in TAFE campus infrastructure over the next decade to attract more young people into apprenticeships and high-demand trade careers, particularly in regional areas and growth corridors.

To coincide with National Apprenticeship Week, the VTA is also seeking 10,000 additional Free TAFE places per year for the next ten years, aiming to increase Victoria’s supply of skilled workers in sectors including home building, data centres and renewable energy.

“The VTA is celebrating more than 63,000 Victorian apprentices who trained across the state in 2025 and continue to play a vital role in shaping Victoria’s economic future,” VTA chief executive Alex White says.

“All Victorians should be able to access the TAFE system to train for in-demand and rewarding careers, while also helping to address the skills shortage.”

TAFE remains the backbone of Victoria’s apprentice workforce, with more than 70% of all apprentices completing their training through public TAFEs and dual-sector universities. In 2025, 12,000 tradespeople entered the workforce, including over 13,000 women and almost half mature-aged learners. However, women still represent only 11% of all apprenticeships and less than 5% of traditional trade apprenticeships.

“We applaud the government for initiatives such as the Big Build Apprenticeship Program, which has raised the rate of women apprentices to 21%, but more work is needed,” Alex says.

“We also congratulate regional TAFEs, including Bendigo TAFE, for introducing innovative courses to boost women’s representation in construction and other trades.”