Mature Age Workers
Are you 35 or older, looking for work and wanting to retrain or upgrade your skills?
Studying at TAFE NSW can help you get back into the workforce or stay ahead of evolving skill needs.
You may be eligible for a fee-free* place in a Smart and Skilled Certificate II, Certificate III or Certificate IV qualification.
As well as fee-free^ training, TAFE NSW can provide career advice and a learning plan that takes into account your skills, experience and support needs.
* Eligibility criteria apply. Places in some courses may be limited.
What to do next
For more information contact us or call the TAFE NSW Contact Centre on 13 16 01.
* Eligibility criteria apply
Frequently Asked Questions
You must be:
- An Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, a humanitarian visa holder, or a New Zealand citizen
- No longer at school
- Living or working in New South Wales
You also must be
- Enrolling in Certificate II, Certificate III and Certificate IV courses on the NSW Skills List.
- Be aged 35 or over when you commence your training
- Have not exceeded a maximum of two Mature Age Workers Scholarships
AND meet one of the following criteria:
- unemployed and looking for work, or
- working in an organisation experiencing significant structural adjustment, or
- have been made redundant within the previous 12 months, or have received a notice of redundancy
- have been ‘stood-down’ by your employer (only eligible to students commencing study on/from 1 January 2021).
To show you’re eligible, you’ll need:
AND one of the following:
- A Centrelink Reference Number (CRN) if you’re receiving JobSeeker, or
- Proof of registration with a Job Active provider, or
- Written confirmation from your employer (on company letterhead) that you have been made redundant within the previous 12 months, or a notice of impending redundancy from your employer, or
- Written confirmation from your employer (on company letterhead) that organisational change has occurred or is underway that will require a change to the qualifications and/or skills required as reflected in your job description, or
- Written confirmation from your employer (on company letterhead) that you have been ‘stood-down’ (only eligible for students commencing study on/from 1 January 2021
Businesses undergoing significant structural change can access fee-free training for their workers aged 35 and over. Enquiries should be made to our business development team.
If you are not eligible for a Mature Age Workers Scholarship, you could be eligible for a Fee-Free TAFE* course.
You can study at any TAFE NSW campus or though TAFE Digital
Yes, you can. For online courses please go to TAFE Digital
There are a wide range of Certificate II, Certificate III and Certificate IV courses that you can apply for. Search for a course or study area in the ‘Find a course’ search box on the homepage or call us on 131 601.
Eligible courses are identified by the following:
This training is subsidised by the NSW Government
If you know what course you’d like to apply for, please call us on 131 601 or contact us so we can tell you how to enrol and how to provide your documents for the scholarship application. We will request that you supply all the relevant documents at the time of enrolment including:
- A Centrelink Reference Number (CRN) if you’re receiving JobSeeker, or
- Proof of registration with a Job Active provider, or
- Written confirmation from your employer (on company letterhead) that you have been made redundant within the previous 12 months, or a notice of impending redundancy from your employer, or
- Written confirmation from your employer (on company letterhead) that organisational change has occurred or is underway that will require a change to the qualifications and/or skills required as reflected in your job description, or
- Written confirmation from your employer (on company letterhead) that you have been ‘stood-down’ (only eligible for students commencing study on/from 1 January 2021)
Our Student Services team, will then assess your eligibility for the scholarship.
Your enrolment will only be finalised when you have provided all your supporting documents, your application meets the eligibility criteria and the scholarship is applied to your course cost. We will then provide you with confirmation of your enrolment and information about starting your course. If you are not eligible for the scholarship we will advise you of the course cost and ask if you wish to continue with your enrolment.
If you are granted a Mature Age Workers Scholarship and you engage in your course, the scholarship is consumed and cannot be transferred or cancelled. Concurrent enrolments, including where you access and are approved for a scholarship or other fee waiver, will not be approved unless you can demonstrate that the workload of your chosen courses is manageable. If you need assistance, TAFE NSW can provide career advice and a learning plan that considers your skills, experience and support needs.
For more information or assistance call us on 131 601 or contact us. Please ensure you mention Mature Age Workers Scholarship when making your enquiry.