Hands-on learning, apprenticeships, paid work and even university without an ATAR – here’s what’s on offer at SA’s five technical colleges, plus the three coming next.
For some students, the best way to learn isn’t spending every day sitting in a classroom.
South Australia’s technical colleges offer another way to finish high school: students in Years 10 to 12 can complete their SACE while training for a real industry, working with employers and learning in facilities designed to feel more like workplaces than classrooms.
The state government invested $208.8 million to build and operate the first five technical colleges at Findon, Tonsley, Modbury Heights, Port Augusta and Mount Gambier – and has committed another $150 million for three more to open in 2028.
The options include traditional trades, but they don’t stop there.
Depending on the college and program, students can train towards careers in industry sectors such as building and construction, defence, mining and resources, health, and early childhood.
Some Year 12 students can start an apprenticeship or traineeship and earn an income while they finish school, while others can begin the first year of an aligned Flinders University degree.
Five technical colleges are now open across SA, with more than 1000 students enrolled, and another three are being developed at Gawler, Murray Bridge and Marden.
So how does it all work, and which college offers what?
What actually is a technical college?
Think high school, but different.
Students still work towards their SACE, but their learning is built around the industry they want to enter. Programs are developed with employers, registered training organisations and universities, and include VET qualifications, workplace experience, industry projects and practical learning using the kind of equipment they’ll encounter on the job.
At the three metropolitan colleges – Findon, Tonsley and The Heights – students attend full-time. The regional colleges at Port Augusta and Mount Gambier work differently: students remain enrolled at their existing school and attend the technical college for blocks of industry training.
There’s no catchment zone either, so metropolitan students can apply regardless of which high school they currently attend.
You can earn while you learn – or start uni early
By Year 12, some programs allow students to start the first year of an apprenticeship or traineeship while completing their SACE, meaning they’re starting their career and earning an income before they’ve even left school.
For students heading towards university, there’s another option.
Eligible technical college students can complete the first year of selected Flinders University degrees during Year 12 in areas including engineering, early childhood education, nursing and allied health.
They don’t need an ATAR. Instead, students complete Flinders’ Enabling Studies Program in Year 11, although normal university admission criteria and course fees still apply.
That means choosing hands-on learning at school doesn’t close off university later – for some students, it can actually get them there earlier.
What does it cost?
For full-time programs, the expensive bits are covered, so everyone can afford to attend.
Technical colleges pay VET training and uniform costs. Metropolitan students are provided with laptops, while regional colleges cover transport and accommodation where needed.
The two regional colleges also offer supervised short-stay accommodation, making their programs accessible to students who live too far away to travel in each day.
There is a charge for students from the non-government sector attending regional technical colleges.
Findon Technical College – opened 2024
SA’s first of the new technical colleges opened at Findon in January 2024.
Its three full-time programs are:
- Advanced manufacturing and engineering
- Early childhood and education
- Health and social support
Students in all three specialisations can access aligned Flinders University pathways, depending on eligibility and their chosen course.
Findon has also now produced the first graduates from the new technical college system. Those students have gone into full-time employment, apprenticeships and further study.
One of them is Luke Carr, who landed a job while he was still in year 12, studying advanced manufacturing and engineering.
He started a school-based apprenticeship with BAE Systems and is now working full-time at Osborne Naval Shipyard, training as a fabrication technician.
“I get to see stuff I’ve actually made being used,” Luke says. “It’s a really rewarding feeling. You think, ‘I did that’.”
Port Augusta Technical College – opened 2025
Port Augusta opened in August 2025 and serves students across a huge part of regional SA, including the Upper Spencer Gulf, Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Mid North, Far North and APY Lands.
Its four part-time programs are:
- Civil, resources and infrastructure
- Cookery and tourism
- Health and social support
- Multi-trades
Students attend week-long training blocks, then return to their regular schools for the rest of their SACE. Secure onsite accommodation is available for students who can’t travel in each day.
Tonsley Technical College – opened 2026
Tonsley opened this year in the Tonsley Innovation District, with three full-time programs:
- Advanced manufacturing and engineering
- Automotive and energy
- Building and construction
Students train in skills including welding, fabrication, robotics and automation, automotive systems, renewable energy and building trades.
Those studying advanced manufacturing and engineering can also complete the first year of an aligned Flinders University degree while in Year 12.
The Heights Technical College – opened 2026
At The Heights Technical College in Modbury Heights, students can choose from four programs:
- Advanced manufacturing and engineering
- Aeroskills
- Building and construction
- Early childhood and education
The aeroskills stream creates a pathway towards aircraft maintenance careers, while students studying advanced manufacturing and engineering or early childhood and education may also be able to start an aligned Flinders degree in Year 12.
Limestone Coast Technical College – opened 2026
Based in Mount Gambier, the Limestone Coast Technical College offers four part-time programs:
- Agri-tech
- Early childhood and education
- Health and social support
- Multi-trades
Like Port Augusta, students stay enrolled at their regular school and attend the college in week-long blocks.
The college also has supervised onsite accommodation for students travelling from elsewhere in the Limestone Coast and broader region.
And three more are coming
The state government, through the Department for Education, is expanding the network from five technical colleges to eight with another $150 million investment for colleges in Gawler, Murray Bridge and Marden.
Consultation with employers and industry is helping determine which industry streams each new college should offer, based on local workforce needs.
Gawler Technical College is the furthest advanced. The $50 million college will sit behind Gawler and District College B-12 on Para Road, cater for up to 250 students and focus on construction and engineering. Building work is expected to begin this year ahead of an opening in January 2028.
Murray Bridge Technical College is also planned to open in 2028 alongside Murray Bridge High School. The college is set to include workshops and short-stay accommodation, catering for up to 250 students.
Marden Technical College is at an earlier stage of development, with its specific industry programs still to be determined through consultation with the community and industry.
Want to apply for 2027?
Applications are still being considered for 2027 where places remain available.
Students wanting a full-time place at Findon, Tonsley or The Heights can apply online. For Port Augusta or Limestone Coast, students need to speak to their school’s career counsellor or VET coordinator.
For students who know they learn better by making, building, fixing, caring or doing, the technical colleges offer a very different final few years of school – without closing off where they can go afterwards.
Thinking this could be your thing? Find out more or apply online at the Technical Colleges website.
