TAFE WORKFORCE STRETCHED TO BREAKING POINT

Australian Education Union Media Release 18 February 2026

The TAFE teaching workforce and its facilities are under extreme pressure with complexity of students, increased enrolments, and ageing facilities impacting on teaching and learning.

The AEU has today released its 2026 State of Our TAFE report, which shows that despite a recent injection in funding, the sector is still crying out for help.

Responses from 1,696 TAFE teachers across the country, the report shows widespread workload intensification, staff shortages and declining retention, even as enrolments surge under a reinvigorated TAFE system. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they had considered leaving their job in the past year, and almost half do not expect to still be working in TAFE within five years.

AEU Federal President Correna Haythorpe said the findings are a warning that despite recent investment in TAFE under the Albanese Government, urgent action to support TAFE teachers and campuses.

“Decades of underfunding have stretched TAFE teachers to breaking point and these survey results are a wakeup call for governments,” Ms Haythorpe said

“Free TAFE has been transformative for students and communities, but its implementation has presented some additional challenges for TAFE teachers.”

Teachers also reported significant increases in students presenting with mental health, literacy, numeracy and digital skills needs, without additional learning or support services to meet that demand.

“Students enrolling in Free TAFE have significantly higher levels of additional needs than the TAFE student cohort overall and TAFE teachers have reported on the fact that TAFE Institutes are generally not resourced well enough to cater for their needs, “ Ms Haythorpe said.

“Free TAFE has opened the door to education for people who were previously locked out, but governments have failed to fund the wraparound supports students need to succeed,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“Teachers are increasingly expected to fill the gaps by providing pastoral care, wellbeing support and foundation skills without the time, training or resources to do so.”

The report, released to coincide with this week National TAFE Council Executive meeting, shows 88 per cent of teachers knew a colleague who had left TAFE in the past 12 months, while more than half reported reduced student contact hours despite rising administrative and compliance demands.

“TAFE teachers are committed to their students, but excessive workloads, insecure and casualised employment and uncompetitive pay are pushing skilled teachers out of the sector at the very moment Australia needs them most.”

“Almost two-thirds of TAFE staff surveyed have considered leaving their jobs in the past year, and nearly half do not expect to be working in TAFE in five years’ time. Without a teaching workforce, TAFE cannot succeed.”

The report also highlights chronic underinvestment in TAFE infrastructure, with outdated equipment and overcrowded campuses impacting on the system’s ability to meet local skills needs.

“Rebuilding TAFE means more than funding courses,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“It requires serious, long-term investment in secure jobs for teachers, manageable workloads, modern campuses and properly funded student support services.”

The AEU is calling on Commonwealth, state and territory governments to urgently commit to a national TAFE workforce renewal and retention strategy, a significant capital works and equipment program, and guaranteed funding for ongoing student support.

“TAFE is a public institution and a public good,” Ms Haythorpe said.

“If governments are serious about skills, productivity and equity, they must invest in the people and places that make TAFE work.”