As you approach the completion of your TAFE Queensland course, it’s a good time to start thinking about the next stage of your learning journey and how you can continue to develop the skills and knowledge you have learned at TAFE Queensland. The direction you take will depend on a number of factors and personal choices, but you may wish to consider the following options:
Continuing your learning with TAFE Queensland
Open entry online courses Australia
Fee-paying flexible short courses or individual subjects are offered online through Open Universities Australia and these can be a good way to boost your skills, professionally develop, and keep learning.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
Open online courses are a global initiative offering a wide range of subjects and courses to students all over the world. Where offered for free the courses generally are not accredited training – they do not replicate or replace a formal qualification, and you may not be provided with any evidence of participation. However, they can be a good way of expanding personal and professional knowledge.
You can build on your qualfiication in a range of ways at TAFE Queensland. Choosing the right pathway will depend on your current course level and the profession or industry you want to join.
Examples of options include:
- Enrolling into a Certificate level vocational course after you have completed your English Language or Foundations Skills course
- Undertaking an apprenticeship after you have completed a pre-apprenticeship course
- Enrolling into a Post-trade training course after you have completed your Apprenticeship
- Enrolling into a higher level Certificate, Diploma or Advanced Diploma course
- Enrolling into a dual qualification Diploma-to-degree pathway combining a TAFE Queensland diploma with a bachelor degree completed at TAFE Queensland
- Enrolling into a dual qualification (diploma or associate degree) which offers a pathway and credit points towards a bachelor degree with one of our partner universities
- Enrolling into a TAFE Queensland degree program
Special conditions and entry requirements may apply for all of the above options, so it’s best to get advice directly from TAFE Queensland so you can choose the most approriate way to build on your quailfications.
Find out more at the TAFE Queensland website, by talking to our Customer Service staff, or by booking an appointment with one of our counsellors in Student Support services.
TAFE Queensland offers a range of free resources to assist students in preparing for employment, including:
- Suggested employment agencies and job search organisations
- How to write a resume and cover letter
- How to respond to selection criteria
- How to prepare for a job interview
These resources are available through our website and the TAFE Queensland Library Network and, at certain locations, individual advice and support may be available by appointment with a Job Matching Officer, Counsellors and Career Advisors, or at a Learning Solutions centre.
Follow the TAFE Queensland links to find out more.
TAFE Queensland Library Network - Career Help
TAFE Queensland Career and Employment Services
TAFE Queensland Job Readiness Program
This is an online course with 10 learning modules especially designed to give you the building blocks of the job application process. The program is written by Australian professional career counsellors and constructed for participants to work at their own pace. So, you can enrol while you are completing your TAFE Queensland studies or after you graduate. Find out more and listen to the testimonals of other students by visiting the TAFE Queensland Successful Graduate webpage.
Whatever pathway to university and professional area of study you have chosen, there are a range of specific skills and abilities required to achieve successful outcomes at university. You may have started to become more confident with academic literacies and skills during your TAFE Queensland course, but the transition from the TAFE competency-based training and assessment system to the Higher Education training environment can be challenging. So, it’s a good idea to reflect on your abilities and to learn about what will be expected of you at university.
Examples of some general academic tasks university students are required to complete are:
- Independent study and revision
- Meeting assessment deadlines through effective time management
- Effective use of academic and scholarly databases (digital and information literacy)
- Reading for purpose and at a critical analysis level
- Understanding evidence-based and research data effectively
- Problem-solving, critical thinking, and questioning
- Academic writing suitable for a range of genres (e.g. essays, reports, critiques)
- Developing a thesis and persuading the reader/audience with reasoned and supported argument
- Demonstrated understanding of the meaning of academic integrity
- Acknowledging the work of others through use of apporpriate academic referencing
- Reflective practice
Many universities offer Preparation for Study modules and programs, and/or workshops and tutorials for new students during their orientation period, or between semesters. In addition, all universities have an area of their website designated for study skills resources and interactive activities, a comprehensive Library Network system, and additional support services offered by academic learning advisors and online tutor services.
Tip:
- Visit the website of your chosen university to find out what they offer to help prospective students prepare.
- Investigate the range of Study Skills and Preparing for University short courses (free and fee paying options) recommended by Open Universities Australia.
