A variety of construction and trade certification courses will now be free
The WA government has announced that it has allocated $100 million in the 2025-26 State Budget to keep TAFE course fees unchanged in 2026 and $21.9 million to fund more fee-free building and construction courses.
Fee settings for 2026 will remain unchanged from 2025, across fee-free and low fee courses, providing more training opportunities for Western Australians.
To the end of April 2025 there have been 28,464 enrolments in free TAFE qualifications and skill sets and 35,010 enrolments in Lower fees, Local skills qualifications, which reduce course fees by up to 72 per cent.
Fee-free courses related to childhood education and care, nursing, work health and safety, and information technology have been among the most popular.
A further $21.9 million has been allocated in the Budget to make additional construction courses fee-free.
The following building and construction courses will be fee-free from 2026:
- Certificate III in Plumbing
- Certificate III in Wall and Ceiling Lining
- Certificate III in Bricklaying and Blocklaying
- Certificate III in Solid Plastering
- Certificate III in Civil Construction
- Certificate II in Construction
- Certificate II in Construction Pathways.
Adding these seven courses to the fee-free list in 2026 will expand the number of fee-free building and construction courses available for students wishing to pursue this career path.
The WA Government’s Made in WA plan is driving growth in major sectors of the economy – from building and construction to housing, renewables and clean energy, advanced manufacturing and the defence industry.
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