Skills NSW

Short courses or part qualifications

NSW Fee Free part qualifications are short courses, often referred to as skills sets or micro-credentials, designed to give NSW citizens skills in priority and growth industry areas.

The NSW Government is providing over 14,200 fee-free training placements across a range of vocational education and training part qualifications. This means you do not have to pay anything to do a short course.

These courses are offered by Smart and Skilled contracted training providers including:

Adult and Community Education (ACE) providers
Private providers.

The courses are on nationally accredited subjects. When a participant completes a part-qualification they will obtain a statement of attainment or a nationally accredited skill set, which they can then use as the starting point to complete a full qualification at a later stage.

Use the Skills Compare search to find a course and check your eligibility.

You might also wish to talk to a Smart and Skilled provider about what training they can offer to meet your needs.

Further information on the Smart and Skilled eligibility criteria can be found under NSW Fee Free training.

NSW Fee-free short courses are fully funded by the NSW and Commonwealth Governments.

Explore NSW Fee-Free short courses by industry sector

If you know what industry attracts you, you can explore these areas to find a suitable short course. Government subsidised training means that, if you are eligible and there is a subsidised place available, the government will pay the student fee on your behalf. Select an industry you’d like to explore to find what short courses are available.