Surge in ECEC enrolments for Central Regional TAFE’s Geraldton campus

There has been a surge in enrolments at Central Regional TAFE’s Geraldton campus in Western Australia, driven by a range of free and low-fee courses in popular fields including early childhood education and care (ECEC). 

WA Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk visited the campus recently saying that the strong take-up of affordable training opportunities will lead directly to highly-skilled workers for the Mid West region.

The Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care is in the ‘top five’ most popular courses category, with enrolment statistics showing that Geraldton campus has delivered just over 3,820 publicly funded course enrolments to the end of October 2024, compared to 3,198 in the same period in 2020 – an increase of 19 per cent.

Of these enrolments, 1,136 have been in Fee-Free qualifications and skill sets, with another 1,133 recorded in the reduced-fee Lower Fees, Local Skills initiative. 

“These promising results for the Mid West region follow Western Australia achieving the highest vocational course enrolments on record in 2023, up 10 per cent on 2022, driven by our investment in affordable training, and supported by new facilities and equipment across the WA TAFE network,” Ms McGurk said.

“Our record investment in infrastructure upgrades, modern equipment and affordable training at WA TAFE colleges is a game changer, especially for regional students and industries.”

“I am proud to say that the majority of these projects are in regional areas, as we know how important it is to ensure people can train and work close to home.”