Australia's health system is facing significant challenges. Workforce shortages, rising demand, and an ageing population are creating gaps in care — particularly in aged care and underserved regional, rural and remote communities.
As Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), the country's largest union, I hear firsthand from our members about the pressures they face on the ground: chronic understaffing, high workloads, and caring for patients with increasingly complex needs.
"Expanding our TAFE system offers an effective and accessible strategy to address these challenges."
For decades, TAFE has played a crucial role in building the nursing and care worker workforce, delivering a steady pipeline of job-ready professionals. In a cost-of-living crisis, it provides an affordable entry point into nursing while supporting ongoing upskilling and career progression across the sector. TAFE qualifications in the care sector are proven to have strong employment outcomes, placing professionals into services where they are needed most.
Nursing and care worker shortages are being felt nationwide, especially in communities where access to healthcare is limited. Hospitals, nursing homes, and community health services urgently need more registered and enrolled nurses and healthcare assistants (HCAs). TAFE is ideally positioned to help fill these gaps by providing practical, hands-on training that equips students with the skills they need to join the health workforce.
TAFE courses provide a pathway into the nursing profession that recognises existing skills and enables students to gain formal qualifications and paid employment. A prime example is the Diploma of Nursing, which prepares students for employment as enrolled nurses. ENs are a vital part of the best-practice nursing skill mix, delivering essential care in hospitals, aged care facilities, and community health settings. Many ENs also use TAFE as a stepping stone to then study at university to become a registered nurse (RN). TAFE pathways also provide a structured pathway for HCAs in aged care to transition into professional nursing and other health roles.
"By creating realistic and supportive opportunities for entry into professional practice, TAFE ensures that nursing remains an achievable and attractive career option for a broad cross-section of the community."
TAFE is widely recognised as an accessible and inclusive pathway into nursing. Many students — and indeed many ANMF members — come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, including mature-age learners seeking a career change, parents returning to the workforce after raising families, and people living in regional, rural, and remote communities. For these groups, university can often feel out of reach, whether due to financial pressures, distance, or the need for flexible study options that can be balanced with work and caring responsibilities.
TAFE nursing diplomas address these barriers by offering a more affordable, flexible, and locally available route into the profession. Research has shown that vocational education pathways such as those delivered through TAFE are critical in widening participation in nursing, particularly for students who have not met university entry requirements, but who bring rich personal and professional experience to their studies. By creating realistic and supportive opportunities for entry into professional practice, TAFE ensures that nursing remains an achievable and attractive career option for a broad cross-section of the community, ultimately contributing to a workforce that better reflects the diversity of the people it serves.
TAFE offers a strong and visible local presence. With campuses established across every state and territory, and not confined to metropolitan centres, TAFE ensures that training opportunities are available in the very places where they are most urgently needed. This widespread reach means that people living in regional and rural areas can access high-quality education without the financial or personal burden of relocating to the city. Importantly, research consistently shows that students who train locally are far more likely to remain in their communities once qualified, contributing directly to the stability and sustainability of the health workforce. By encouraging people to study, qualify, and work where they already have strong roots and community ties, TAFE supports the growth of a nursing workforce that is not only more evenly distributed but also deeply attuned to the needs, challenges, and strengths of the communities it serves.
The health system is constantly evolving. Changing care models, new evidence and expanding scopes of practice mean nurses must continually update their knowledge and skills. TAFE supports this through short courses and certificates in subject areas including mental health, palliative care, aged care, or infection prevention — helping nurses and care workers upskill to meet workforce demands.
Further, many nursing and personal care courses have the advantage of being included in fee-free programs supported by both state and federal governments. This makes education far more accessible for people who may not have the financial security to enrol into a university degree, those working part-time or casually while supporting families, or people who hold the goal of a professional career despite not achieving the required academic entry. Fee-free TAFE places open the door to professional nursing for a broader and more diverse community, ensuring that the profession reflects the real people it serves.
For example, one ANMF member, after working 30 years in office administration, retrained via fee-free TAFE to complete a Certificate III in Aged Care, began working as a HCA, and then progressed to a Diploma of Nursing, ultimately achieving her dream role as an EN.
"From filling critical workforce gaps to supporting ongoing professional development, TAFE continues to play a vital role in shaping the future of nursing in Australia."
At its heart, nursing is about people — caring for patients and residents, supporting families, and strengthening communities. The TAFE pathway reflects these same values, offering people from all walks of life the opportunity to pursue meaningful careers in healthcare.
As we confront the challenges facing our health system, ensuring TAFE remains central to workforce development is essential for building a strong, sustainable, and skilled nursing workforce.
About the author
Annie Butler is Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) and a Registered Nurse, with more than a decade's experience working in public hospitals, the community and on health education projects, and a further decade working in research and education.
