A taste of the future: TAFE program helps students find their path
This program gives students the chance to discover what interests them and start seeing a future they can work towards.
Federation TAFE’s delivery of the Victorian Government's Vocational Taster Experiences Initiative continues to explode in popularity, with student participation more than doubling in its second year – rising from 289 in 2025 to 602 so far in 2026.
Almost 900 students from 18 schools have taken part in the initiative since it launched last year – around 30 per cent higher than originally forecast – highlighting the growing demand for TAFE and vocational education amongst high school students.
Early tracking suggests around 30 per cent of participants have taken the next step in their vocational education pathway, whether progressing from a Year 9 Vocational Explorer into a Year 10 VET Taster, or moving into VET Delivered to Secondary Students, school-based apprenticeships and traineeships and other training pathways.
As part of the initiative, Year 9 students take part in one-day Vocational Explorer programs, while Year 10 students can undertake more intensive multi-week VET Tasters linked to specific qualifications and career pathways.
For many, the program is helping turn uncertainty about what comes next into a clearer direction, giving students greater confidence when choosing senior secondary subjects, further study and future career pathways.
For Mount Rowan Secondary College student Lucas O’Keefe, that experience helped turn an interest in engineering into a tangible next step.
After taking part in the Engineering, Composites, Welding, Fabrication and Machining VET Taster, Lucas is now completing a school-based apprenticeship in Certificate III in Engineering – Fabrication Trade.
“I really liked being in the industrial setting and seeing what the trade was actually like. It gave me a much clearer picture of how it all works," Lucas said.
“Seeing how trade school worked made me a lot more interested in going through an apprenticeship. It confirmed that engineering was something I wanted to keep pursuing.
“I’d say 100 per cent go for it. There’s nothing you can lose from giving it a try, and there’s a lot you can gain.”
Lucas’s journey is just one example of how the initiative is helping students find their passion and purpose, with the program set to continue across Ballarat and the Wimmera in 2027. Federation TAFE has been allocated $300,000 to continue the initiative next year, building on the more than $1 million over the life of the program.
Federation TAFE Pro-Vice Chancellor VET and Pathways and Chief Executive Darren Gray said one of the program’s greatest strengths was helping young people turn uncertainty about the future into something they could see, try and imagine themselves doing.
“When a student comes in unsure about what they want to do and leaves excited about a possibility they hadn’t considered before, that’s exactly what this program is about,” Mr Gray said.
“For a lot of students, deciding what to do next can feel like a huge decision, especially when they haven’t had much exposure to different industries or careers.
“This program gives them the chance to discover what genuinely interests them, build confidence in their choices and start seeing a future they can work towards.”
Healthcare Industries and Building and Engineering have been the most popular areas, attracting 230 and 226 students respectively since the program began. Other experiences include air and Beauty, Information Technology and Cyber Security, Commercial Cookery, Clean and Renewable energy, Electrotechnology, Automotive and Engineering.
Coordinator for the Vocational Taster Experiences Rebecca Perovic said the hands-on experience gave students a much clearer understanding of what different study and career options involved.
“Spending time in a TAFE environment, meeting teachers and trying practical activities gives students a chance to see what a course or career is actually like,” Ms Perovic said.
“For some students that confirms they’re heading in the right direction, while for others it helps them realise another option might suit them better.
“Whatever they choose to do next, the aim is for them to leave with more information, more experience and greater confidence in the decision they make.”
The Federation TAFE Vocational Tasters initiative is part of the Victorian Government’s $6.9 million investment over 4 years to support Year 9 and 10 government school students to explore vocational learning and pathways.
To learn more about the Vocational Taster Experiences, visit https://www.federation.edu.au/engage/schools/vocational-taster-experiences/