Pathways to university
Students come to TAFE from many different starting points with a view to fulfill varied career or personal goals. Below are some examples of how TAFE learning pathways can meet your needs and give you greater possibilities or find out more in the TAFE Queensland pathways to university brochure (PDF 1.84MB).
Example of learning pathways
TAFE
You're enrolled in a Certificate at TAFE and work part-time at a fast food chain. Your dream job is to work in a five-star hotel in the Whitsundays but you don't yet have the skills required. To make your dream a reality, your TAFE teacher advises you to enrol in the Diploma of Hospitality and receive credit for the study you've already done in the Certificate.
Work
You've been working as a receptionist in a large real estate agency for the last five years and need a challenge. While still working full-time, you enrol in a flexible course at TAFE and get your Certificate in Real Estate in six months. You are well on the way to your new career.
Entering the workforce
After spending the last three years caring for your family you decide it's time to enter the workforce again. You aim to find work helping young people in your community and so enrol in a Certificate in Community Services at TAFE.
Year 10
You get an apprenticeship as a chef at a local restaurant and sign a training agreement with your new boss. You work full-time and attend TAFE for scheduled block release training. When you graduate, you go on a working holiday (as your qualification is recognised across Australia) to build up experience and progress towards opening your own restaurant.
Year 12
You complete your Senior Certificate but don't get the Overall Position you need to get into University. You decide to enrol in a full-time Diploma of Information Technology at your local TAFE. You complete your TAFE Diploma in 18 months, receive credit, and improve your QTAC selection rank enough to enrol in a Bachelor of Information Technology.
University
You graduated from university with a Bachelor of Science and have been working with CSIRO for five years. You want to upgrade your skills but don't want to commit to another three-year degree. You decide to enrol in a Renewable Energy Technologies course. You complete this short course in one year and have been promoted to a better position.
Tertiary entrance in Queensland
Entrance to most Diploma level and Bachelor Degree level courses at Queensland TAFE Institutes, Universities and some Private Providers are through application to the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC). QTAC manages offers to courses on behalf of the member Institutions at both the main admissions period in January and February of each year as well as a smaller admissions period in June of each year.
Entry to most courses (except where through audition, portfolio or interview) is merit based and influenced heavily by course quotas and demand for places in each course. QTAC uses a ranking system to manage offers of places.
For many year 12 leavers, an Overall Position (OP) is awarded on completion of the prescribed number and type of subjects in senior high school as well as having sat the Queensland Core Skills (QCS) Test. OP Scores range from 1 (highest) to 25 (lowest).
For anyone else wanting to apply for a position in a course through QTAC (including Year 12 leavers who do not qualify for an OP), their application is assessed and they are allocated a Selection Rank. Selection Ranks are allocated taking into account information such as educational history, trade or traineeship studies, other professional qualifications and possible educational disadvantage.
Personal competencies and employment experience can also be assessed at additional cost. Also at additional cost, applicants may sit the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT), a 2 hour multiple choice test conducted at various times and places around Queensland. The STAT is designed to test a range of abilities commonly considered important for successful tertiary study. Results on the STAT are only used by QTAC if they improve your Selection Rank. Selection Ranks range from 99 (highest) to 1 (lowest).
Note also, that many courses at universities have prerequisite requirements for entry. Check with each institution regarding any prerequisite requirements for their courses.
Benefits of participating in TAFE courses
TAFE courses are often used as an option to increase the chance of entry to tertiary level courses by improving Overall Positions and Selection Ranks.
Certificate courses
The successful completion of a TAFE Certificate III or IV course will provide you with a rank of 68 (comparable to an OP of 15).
The successful completion of a TAFE Certificate IV course will provide you with a rank of 74 (comparable to an OP of 12).
A student may also sit the STAT (Special Tertiary Admissions Test) and use results obtained in conjunction with a completed certificate to increase their rank. These ranks can be used for a QTAC application for tertiary study.
You may need to have specific prerequisite subjects for the course of your choice. These can also be obtained at Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE through part-time study of Certificate IV in Adult Tertiary Preparation (For example English or Math prerequisites.)
Diploma courses: incomplete - one year duration
The successful completion of one-year full-time equivalent of a TAFE Diploma course will provide you with a rank of 78 (comparable to an OP of 11).
If you are initially enrolled in a Certificate as part of your Diploma, you will receive a rank for the study undertaken at Certificate level and a rank.