Three states announce Fee-Free TAFE for Sign & Graphics Apprentices

In a huge boost for aspiring sign and graphics apprentices in South Australia, Queensland and NSW, the Certificate III in Sign & Graphics (CPC30216) TAFE training for sign and graphics apprentices will be fee-free from 2025.

The incentive applies to new starts who enrol for Semester 1 in Queensland and SA, and up until June 2025 in NSW. TAFE representatives are currently awaiting confirmation on whether the schemes will be continued beyond those dates.

The news broke in South Australia, where TAFE SA confirmed they will have fee-free places available to apprentices who commence their training in Semester 1, 2025, made possible by a new Fee Free TAFE* in Construction agreement between the Federal and South Australian Goverments.

TAFE New South Wales confirmed this week that they have a similar system in place, which will be in effect until at least mid-2025, and TAFE Queensland was also able to confirm a similar deal for new apprentices in the Sunshine State.

In all States, course places will be available to eligible apprentices, without any student contribution fees, and will apply for the duration of their qualification.

Mick Harrold, President of the Australian Sign & Graphics Association (ASGA) said it was ‘a great Christmas present’ for the industry.

“It is welcome news that the Federal Government has allocated significant funds to the States to help address the critical skills shortages across construction and other sectors, including our own,” Mick said.

“We are delighted that three State governments so far have recognised the importance of sign and graphics professionals, and have chosen to apply some of that funding to help us meet the vital need for more apprentices in our sector.”

With each State free to allocate funding as they see fit, the structure and conditions of the offer vary slightly from State to State, Mick says, but the fundamental principle is that the Certificate III in Sign & Graphics will be fully funded for apprentices who commence their indentures in SA, Queensland or NSW next year – and that funding will apply for their entire qualification.

“At this stage, ASGA has not been able to confirm whether similar arrangements will be in place in Victoria or Western Australia, but we have reached out to the relevant training bodies and will confirm early in the new year,” Mick says. “Certainly, this is something we would like to see replicated across the country.”

The news is all the more welcome as it comes at a time that the sign and graphics sector – like many others – is desperately short of skilled and qualified trades people, and follows a couple of years of disappointing decisions, which ASGA has been working hard to rectify.

“We have long been working towards increasing the number of apprentices in the sector, because we know it is the best and most sustainable way to secure the future of our industry and its businesses,” Mick says.

“To that end, we still want to see sign and graphics qualifications returned to the government’s priority skills list, and also to have apprentice sign-on bonuses reinstated, however the announcements we’ve seen this week are a good start, and a huge boost for our sector in South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales.

“All I can say to businesses in those States is there’s never been a better time to put on an apprentice. If you are looking to expand your team in 2025, you should be grabbing this opportunity with both hands," concludes Harrold.