The NCVER has just released the latest student and courses data showing which government-funded students enrolled where, between January and September 2025.

The data shows that across Australia 1,027,380 students undertook government-funded training in the first nine months of 2025. This represented a fall of 72,225 students (-6.6%) compared with the same period in 2024.

Understandably most government-funded activity involves nationally recognised training. Of the 1.027 million students, 990,295 were in nationally recognised VET programs, with fewer than 60,000 enrolled in non-nationally recognised training.

Within nationally recognised training, full qualifications dominate, attracting 925,600 students. Short nationally recognised courses, often used for targeted skills development, enrolled 36,640 students.

Nationally recognised qualification student numbers fell in 2025 but remain above pre-pandemic levels. Locally-developed programs (with at least one nationally recognised ‘subject’) saw enrolments increase, up to 52,575 (6.5%).

Training package enrolments reveal further shifts. Community Services accounted for the largest share of training package enrolments (216,760 students or 23.6%), followed by the Construction, Plumbing & Services Integrated Framework training package with 100,315 students (10.9%).

Among the ten training packages with the largest changes in enrolments, only Electrotechnology grew, up 5,055 students (7.9 %). By contrast, Retail and Business Services experienced the largest percentage declines, down 29.9 percent and 29.1 percent on 2024 levels.

Looking at Fee Free TAFE enrolments between January 2023 and September 2025 – there have been more than 725,000 students enrolled. Of these almost 200,000 learners chose courses in the care sector, a further 69,245 enrolled in technology and digital courses, and almost as many (59,025) in construction.

Fee Free TAFE enrolments are overwhelmingly (85.4%) at Certificate III level and above. Courses with the strongest level of completions include:

  • Certificate III in Individual Support Diploma of Nursing
  • Diploma of Community Services
  • Certificate IV in Building and Construction
  • Certificate II in Electrotechnology
  • Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician, and
  • Certificate IV in Cyber Security.