17 May 2020

If you’ve ever read a Year13 article, you’d know that we’re big advocates of both TAFE and uni. They’ve both got their place in the world, and they both try to achieve the same thing – to help you chase your dream career.

However, if they’re both good options, and they’re both working towards the same outcome, how do you choose between the two of them?

To start, let’s figure out which is which:

What’s the difference?

TAFE generally offers shorter courses, designed to get you into the workforce faster. It has a hands-on approach to learning with an emphasis on practical work - ensuring you gain the skills you’ll need to get the job done around the workplace.

If you want a career that requires a certificate, diploma or apprenticeship, then TAFE is the right choice for you.

On the other hand, when you go to uni you’re usually looking at a degree that is at least three years in length, and features a combination of theory-based and practical assessments. Uni is usually the next level up from TAFE, and it’s not uncommon for someone who finishes their TAFE course to then go on to complete further studies at uni. It can often lead to higher-paying and higher-ranking positions in whatever industry you’re chasing.

How do I decide which one is for me?

It all really comes down to what you want to do, and what level you’re at in terms of your skills and knowledge.

If you want to do a business degree, but you aren’t doing Business Studies as one of your subjects in Year 12, then it could be worth doing a TAFE course in business first. That way, when you do get to uni, there’s no chance you’ll feel like you’re behind the rest of the class.

However, if your uni degree doesn’t require you to have completed Business Studies in Year 12, then you’re also good to go if you wanna just jump straight into the uni life.

There’s also the option of doing both. As we mentioned earlier, many TAFE courses act as a pathway into doing a degree at university. Sometimes, a one-year Diploma at TAFE can even get you straight into the second year of a degree at uni, meaning you don’t even spend any extra time studying and you still get to experience the best of both worlds!

Introducing Victoria University

Still unsure whether you should be hunting around for TAFEs or unis?

Look no further.

Victoria University is one of only six universities in Australia that offers both TAFE and uni courses, and this overlap means that you have the option to start with one of their TAFE courses before transferring straight into the second year of the related degree.

Why have both?

With places like Victoria University (VU), you can complete your whole post-school education journey without ever changing institutions. You could do your Certificate I, II, III and IV, Diploma, Bachelor’s, Honours, Masters and PhD all from the same place with one smooth transition between each!

Victoria University has also recognised some of the advantages found with TAFE courses, and transferred them into their uni degrees.

For example, TAFE generally has smaller class sizes and they’re pretty successful. So, Victoria Uni now uses the VU Block Model in its uni courses, which gives you all of the benefits of a smaller class (getting to know your classmates and teacher better, more personalised learning, quicker responses from your teachers) whilst still getting the full uni experience.

After the Block Model’s first year of use in 2018, they won the Victorian International Education Awards Award for Excellence in International Education. And students’ pass rates increased by 12.8 points to 86.5% in 2019 from pre-Block Model levels in 2017. It’s a next-level way to make sure you’re performing at your peak!

Another great aspect of VU is how they provide a timetable that can allow flexibility outside of uni - where you can work, and spend time with family, friends and pursue all your other interests.

The majority of VU’s courses are super flexible – giving you the freedom to choose between things like full or part-time study and studying online versus in the classroom. They’ve also got a bunch of really strong industry partners to help you get work experience, so you know you’re in good hands no matter what level course you’re studying!

If you’re interested in finding out more about Victoria University, head over here to check them (and their courses) out!