More than 10,600 students enrolled in fee-free study in 2023, a 65 per cent increase compared to two years ago.

The uptake will help address critical workforce shortages across many industries in SA.

InDaily reported that the shortages impact nearly one-third of the jobs listed as priorities in the state government’s 2022 skills priority list.

The increase in enrolments in 2023 marked the first year-on-year increase since 2012.

Popular courses included pathology, early childhood and care, plumbing, nursing, and electrotechnology.

TAFE said it worked closely with industry to ensure it delivered training that was relevant and addressed in-demand skills.

“Our training also aligns with the state government’s priority sectors to ensure we’re meeting future workforce needs,” TAFE SA chief executive David Coltman said.

“With the support of state and federal governments, we have over 4500 additional Fee Free TAFE places for the next three years.”

A five-year National Skills Agreement announced in October 2023 will invest $2.289 billion in training and skills for South Australia, supporting TAFE SA with extra training places and improvements.

The state government’s long-term vision, outlined in its Roadmap for the Future of TAFE SA, aims to position TAFE SA as the primary public training provider over the next decade.

Education Minister Blair Boyer said there had been a strong response from priority student groups to the fee free offer.

He said this included people with a disability (9%), women in non-traditional fields (30%), First Nations students (5%), veterans (13%) and students speaking a language other than English at home (11%).

“It is fantastic to see such a significant increase in the number of enrolments at TAFE SA especially among priority cohorts,” he said.