The Individual Support, Ageing Support and Leisure and Health courses are 21 weeks – based on 2 classes a week, or study time of 15 hours a week.

The Early Childhood course is 48 weeks – based on 2 classes a week, or study time of 15 hours per week. The Early Childhood Diploma is 50 weeks – based on 2 classes a week or study time of 15 hours per week.

The Celebrancy course can be completed in 3 months or 6 months, depending on which study option you choose. To complete the course in 3 months you must do 1 week of classes on-site at NIET in Frankston, and then 15 hours a week of study for 2.5 months.  You can also complete in 6 months by attending 1 weekend a month for 6 months, along with 7 hours of study per week.

Make sure that you can fit a regular amount of study time into your week. You need to keep up with your normal life and also fit in regular, ongoing study to be able to complete the course successfully.

If you are attending classes, you need to attend them 2 days a week and spend around 2 to 3 hours a week on homework.

If you choose to complete a course using Flexible Delivery, we recommend at least 8 hours a week to complete the course within the allocated time frame.

Classes are 2 days a week on campus, with classes scheduled from 9am to 3pm. One-on-one Study Support is available with the teacher after class from 3pm to 5pm.

Flexible Delivery is a combination of learning methods that gives you the freedom to learn from any location, using printed learning materials and accessing a pre-recorded webinar for each subject.  Learning is completed through reading materials, such as a Learner Guide and your assessment can be handwritten or typed up, depending on what suits you. 

There is also a class you need to attend in person, to learn the hands-on practical skills that are required. This class is offered at night and on weekends.

To complete your course successfully, you will need to invest at least 8 hours per week to:

• Read the Learner Guide
• Watch the pre-recorded webinar
• Read the PowerPoint slides from the webinar
• Complete the assessment in handwriting, or by typing up the answers
• Contact your teacher if you have any questions 
• Submit the assessment by the due date for each subject.

Your teacher guides you through all aspects, such as course content, assessments and general coursework. Your teacher will also conduct a class, which you must attend in person to complete practical tasks. You must submit your assessments on time and you will need to study regularly for at least 8 hours a week.

The Government subsidises courses for eligible individuals. Check your eligibility using NIET’s Eligibility Checker.

The cost for each course can be found in the Statement of Fees located under Resources and in the Course Outline for each course.

NIET has government funding which is available to eligible students. We also offer payment plans.

NIET’s courses are typically cheaper than TAFE courses as TAFE charges additional administrative fees that are separate from the “Free TAFE” course fee, which you will need to pay.

All qualification courses at NIET are nationally recognised around Australia.

NIET has strong relationships with many employer organisations and can find a placement organisation for you. Students are also welcome to find their own placement.

Practical Placement needs to be completed for all courses, except the Celebrancy course. Each course has a specific number of hours of workplace experience that must be completed for the course, such as 120 hours for the Individual Support course. 

Practical placement gives students the chance to work in a real workplace, while still learning and being supported by teachers and workplace staff.  Students gain valuable new skills and become job-ready by completing placement.

We recommend that students complete placement after they have completed a few units from their course, so that the student can apply the knowledge they have learned in the workplace.  We also recommend that students complete placement 1 day a week during their course, to effectively apply what they have learned progressively as they complete their course.

We realise that not all students can attend placement 1 day a week, and some students prefer to complete placement hours over a few weeks in a block of time.

NIET has connections with many employer organisations and can assist you with finding placement.  During placement, you will learn to apply the knowledge you have learned and this will also include completing some assessment tasks in the workplace to show that you have developed the knowledge and skills required for the workplace. A NIET teacher will come and visit you when you are on placement if assessment tasks need to be observed by a NIET teacher.

Access to a computer is required for the Celebrancy and Early Childhood courses.  

Access to a computer is an advantage for all qualification courses and NIET provides a computer area for students to use from 8:30am to 4:30pm on weekdays.