Information technology, hospitality and business courses quickly filled up, while many full-paying and Technical and Vocational Educational Training courses will go ahead as skills and trade training remains strong.

“Basically we have had good feedback on enrolment,” TAFE Western media and promotions officer Hugh Haynes said.

“Generally there have been no shortages.

“Applications to some courses have been so popular there was the need for early enrolment for some diplomas and Certificate IV courses as early as spring last year.”

Mr Haynes says while enrolments are up on last year, he can only guess why this trend has occurred.

“A year ago we didn’t really know where things were heading from the GFC [global financial crisis] and people with qualifications felt better placed. But every student has their own story,” he said.

Hairdressing, which has been listed as a skills shortage, is one course to have seen a large influx of enrolments, with 46 apprentices from around the Central West attending eight different classes.

“There are really good incentives available for employers of apprentices,” TAFE Western hairdressing head teacher Tracey Elliott said.

However, it isn’t just the employers that are seeing the benefits.

“There are great financial incentives to be an apprentice and learn a trade,” Hairdressing Certificate III student Lou Chippara said, who travels weekly from Parkes.

“You learn the skills here and take them back to the salon to practise.”

As the year shapes up to be a good one for TAFE Western, the Federal Government’s rejection of 20,000 migrant working applications will have little affect on the students’ chances of regional employment, Ms Elliot says.

“In regional areas it doesn’t affect us as much as in metro cities,” she said.