We are one of Western Australia’s most diverse training providers with major campuses in Bentley, Carlisle, Fremantle, Murdoch, Rockingham, Thornlie and Mandurah.
We offer more than 300 qualifications, from foundation courses to apprenticeships and traineeships, to diplomas and skill sets. We have over 30,000 students across our Perth campuses and more students in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America through partnerships offshore.
Our purpose
We do this by:
- Providing students with high quality training services that prepare them for pathways to employment.
- Providing students with pathways to further education and training opportunities that can launch and extend their careers.
- Helping industry and our employers grow and create the workforce of the future.
- Strengthening our communities by enabling lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Our vision
Our vision ensures we aspire to create futures for individuals:
- Through preparing them for jobs or supporting further learning to develop their careers,
- By creating future workforces for industry and employers - through helping them to employ skilled staff or upskill their existing workforce,
- and by creating strong futures for our communities.
See our Annual Reports, Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP), Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), and Strategic Plan on our Reports and Publications page.
Current Governing Council Members
Deborah Hamblin is the Mayor of the City of Rockingham. Her career has focused on education, working for Murdoch University from 1978 to 2016. She has promoted the importance of Education in the Region while on Council and has focussed on its value in building a resilient community.
Deb is passionate about the City of Rockingham and was elected in May 2005 as a Councillor, contributing in the role as Deputy Mayor for eight years and was elected by the community as Mayor in 2021.
She value adds to her community as a Board member of Rockingham Senior High School and Warnbro Community College. Mayor Hamblin has been a member of a variety of management boards and is a valuable contributor to SM TAFEs Governing Council.
In her Council role she has been a Commissioner on the WA Grants Commission, the Vice Chair of the Library Board of Western Australia, a Deputy State Councillor and a member of the Joint Development Assessment Panel.
She is a proud patron of Rockingham Regional Arts and a number of other organisations.
She holds a Bachelor degree from Murdoch University and a post graduate qualification from Curtin University.
Ashah Tanoa is a Pinjareb/Whadjuk Noongar woman from Perth, Western Australia. Ashah is a dedicated advocate for First Nations people, with a commitment to ensuring cultural preservation, and empowerment. As the Manager of the Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre at Murdoch University, Ashah is deeply committed to supporting Indigenous students in their educational journeys. Prior to becoming manager, Ashah was an associate lecturer, teaching First Nations students in the K-Track enabling program. Ashah also provided academic and cultural support to other disciplines throughout Murdoch. Her passion for empowering Indigenous communities led her to pursue a Master of Education by Research, focusing on Indigenous student retention and the factors influencing their decisions to leave university within the first year.
In 2021, Ashah received the 2021 Vice Chancellor's award for Excellence in Enhancing Learning for her effort in supporting First Nations students through the Covid-19 pandemic. Further, her expertise in the field has been recognised on a global platform, with her acceptance to present at the 2022 Higher Education Research Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) conference in Melbourne. Her presentation highlighted an evaluation of support strategies implemented to teach the hidden curriculum to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, showcasing her innovative approach to education. In 2022, Ashah was awarded the Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Fogarty Postgraduate Award for her research contribution to Indigenous participation and engagement at university.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ashah finds joy in her family life, cherishing moments with her husband, Ben, and their two young daughters, Aisla, and Willow.
Brian was born and raised in Bowral, NSW, from where he joined the Royal Australian Navy, graduating from the Naval College with a Diploma of Applied Science. He also holds a Master of Business Administration.
Brian specialised in information Technology, responsible for managing warship communications and data exchange networks. He has lived and worked in Australia, Malaysia, and the United States, and was seconded to the US military in Florida with responsibility for designing US communications and collaborative networks. In 2011 he led a team of US engineers to Afghanistan fielding the new network linking the regional commands with combat outposts, for which he was awarded the United States Joint Service Commendation.
Brian has been Director General of Navy Communications and Information Warfare, highlighted by his establishment of the Australian Navy Cyber Directorate and Deputy Mission Commander for Pacific Partnership, a US Navy deployment providing medical and humanitarian assistance to regional communities. He returned as the Commanding Officer of the HMAS Stirling Navy base.
Brian has transitioned to the Naval Reserve and lives in Rockingham with his wife Robin, a native of Washington DC, and their three children.
Carol was appointed to the South Metropolitan Tafe Governing Council in July 2024 and brings to the Council a long and distinguished professional career in the local government sector, as well as strong legal, governance and strategic planning experience.
By way of brief background, Carol stood down as Mayor at the City of Kwinana prior to the elections held October 2023 after serving 27 years as a councillor, seventeen of those years as the City’s longest serving Mayor.
Carol holds a Bachelor of Laws (Murdoch University 1997), is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (2009), the recipient of the WA Local Government Associations “Local Government Medal” (2024), and in November 2023 was awarded the inaugural “Freedom of the City” by Kwinana Council. In 2019, she was the recipient of an Order of Australian Medal (General Division), in 2014 she was awarded Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow Award, and in 2011 was the recipient of WA Local Government Association’s Long and Loyal Service Award.
Carol is the current vice chairperson of the Western Australian Turf Club (Perth Racing), and her past board and committee experiences range from infrastructure, local government and Aboriginal advisory committees.
Carol has a strong focus on the economic development of the South Metropolitan Region of Perth and the education and employment opportunities for its residents. Carol will place a strong community and stakeholder engagement lens over the council’s strategic direction and decision making.
Dawn is an accomplished executive and governance professional with a career spanning the Corporate, NGO, Education, Manufacturing, and Community sectors. As Managing Director of Enfranchise Pty Ltd, she specialises in Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), partnering with organisations to coach & embed Governance, Risk & Compliance through operational excellence & strengthening workplace culture, driving sustainable growth in both people and performance.
Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Law & Business, professional membership with the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI), Fellow Membership with the Governance Institute of Australia (GIA), and credentials as an Exemplar Global Qualified Lead Auditor and DISC Accredited Practitioner. These credentials underpin her practical expertise in compliance, leadership, and organisational development.
Dawn is a Board Director of The Spear Foundation: Providing governance oversight and contributing to community-led programs that empower Aboriginal youth, Elders, and families.
Julian Coyne brings entrepreneurship, engineering and technology together. After graduating with honours in Computer & Mathematical Science in 2002 Julian founded his first company Unified - which has since delivered successful technology solutions to major clients including Toyota, Rio Tinto, INPEX, IBM, Microsoft, Landgate, Lotterywest, UWA and State & Federal Government agencies throughout Australia. Julian has since launched several other successful companies and initiatives, and has been invited to Oxford University, Silicon Valley and Singapore to present and work on the future of technology, industry, academia & government.
Julian presently serves as WA Chairman for the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) - Australia's peak body for the technology industry. The AIIA represents global organisations including Apple, Amazon, Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Optus, Telstra, Deloitte, EY, KPMG & PwC through to local SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups. In 2006 Julian was selected for the Commonwealth Government's inaugural ICT Industry Entrepreneur Accelerator Program, hosted at Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) in partnership AusIndustry and AIIA. Julian is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), a Senior Certified Professional with the Australia Computer Society (ACS), a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and a member of the Commonwealth Club of California.
In addition to serving on the Governing Council of South Metropolitan TAFE, Julian serves as Chairman of the Autism Academy of Software Quality Assurance (AASQA) and Chairman of the Advisory Board for the State Government’s Regional New Industries Fund.
Michelle Sidebottom’s professional experience has seen her design, develop, and implement local to major State-wide business and workforce developmental projects with the private sector, non-profits, registered training organisations, peak industry associations, and local, State and Federal Government agencies. She is the Director of Breakaway Tourism Pty Ltd, Breakaway Parks Pty Ltd, and Avocet Island Pty Ltd, and is a graduate of Harvard University’s ‘Harvard Kennedy School – Leading Economic Growth Executive Program’.
Key areas of her work include facility management of hospitality and tourism properties; project management; Aboriginal business and tourism development services; and consultancy in the sectors of tourism, hospitality, accommodation, recreation, business, and workforce development. Additional roles held include Deputy Chair of the Peel Development Commission, and Deputy Chair of Coolibah Care Inc.
Michelle has worked extensively across Australia, Japan and Malaysia and is a former Board Member of Visit Mandurah; Judge for the Australian and WA Tourism Awards, Australian Hotels Association (WA) Awards, and Clubs WA Awards for Excellence; Project Manager of FutureNow Creative & Leisure Industries Training Council; and an Industry Advisory Group member of various public and private Registered Training Organisations in Western Australia.
Stedman Ellis is an experienced leader, director and adviser with more than 20 plus years’ experience in senior roles in commercial, government, industry association, research and cultural sectors. With an extensive career in Australia and internationally in the mining and energy sectors, he has more recently worked across renewables (particularly battery industries), research and creative industries.
He developed key partnerships with SM TAFE as the inaugural CEO of Australia’s Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre and prior to that as COO for the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (now Australian Energy Producers). He previously held senior external affairs roles with BHP in Australia, Papua New Guina and the United States, and worked within government including as a deputy director general within the WA public service.
Stedman is excited by the opportunities for the State’s training system to contribute to the transition to a sustainable energy system and to the growth of the creative economy for the benefit of all Western Australians. He is currently a non-executive director of FORM, an independent non-profit cultural organisation with offices in Perth and the Pilbara, and projects across the State. Prior board appointments included the Australian Gas Industry Trust, the Minerals Research Institute of WA, and the Central Institute of Technology (now North Metropolitan TAFE) governing council.
Stedman holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of WA and a graduate diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Thomas Griebel is the General Manager of the Faculty of Business and Law at Curtin University. With over 20 years of experience in Management Accounting and senior leadership positions in Finance, Thomas is a Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA) and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Before joining Curtin in 2015, Thomas held leadership positions in the pharmaceutical industry across Germany, the UK, France, and Belgium. He has a strong interest in innovation, continuous improvement, and organisational governance. He previously served on the WA Divisional Council of CPA Australia and was Divisional President in 2022.
Thomas is passionate about creating accessible and inclusive education pathways to ensure Western Australia is equipped with the skills and talent needed for the future. He is committed to strengthening collaboration across the tertiary education sector.
Yvonne Parnell is an accomplished non-executive director with extensive strategic and regulatory experience gained through a wide range of board governance and committee roles in public health, medical research and the not-for-profit sector.
From 2008 to 2022 Yvonne served as a CEO in the community services sector delivering valued services to people with developmental disability and their families. Prior roles include State Manager positions with national retailers Dymocks and the OPSM Group. Earlier in her career Yvonne spent a decade with global professional services firm, Arthur Andersen.
Yvonne brings to TAFE robust skills and a strong track record in strategic planning, governance & risk, organizational transformation, sustainability and capacity building, financial and commercial management, leadership, and workforce culture. She is deeply committed to achieving transformative outcomes through consumer, community and stakeholder engagement.
Yvonne is a respected Member of the South Metropolitan Health Service Board with her 9year tenure concluding in 2025. Previously she served on the North Metropolitan Health Service Governing Council from 2012 to 2015. Yvonne currently contributes her expertise on the Boards of Carers WA, Alzheimer’s Research Australia, and the Rottnest Foundation.
She holds a Graduate Diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors
History
The campuses that now form South Metropolitan TAFE have been involved in numerous name changes and merges with other colleges under the direction of the WA State Government for 120 years.
Prior to 1900, technical education in WA was sporadic and mostly supported through Mechanics and Miners Institutes. However, Challenger Institute’s technical education record in Fremantle had its beginnings in 1898 when evening classes were conducted at Fremantle Boys School. These took place in the FTI building in Adelaide Terrace. Challenger’s subsequent incarnation was as the Fremantle Technical School. The inaugural class of 1900 comprised 116 male students taking evening classes in the South Terrace building.
In Perth’s East however, Midland College of TAFE was first known as Midland Junction Technical School and established in 1904. An advertisement in The Swan Express dated 15 February 1929 promoted “Sound tuition is given in commercial, domestic, trade and art subjects” and encouraged parents to enrol students aiming towards apprenticeships in “mechanical drawing, mechanics and mathematics classes.”
The decades to 1996 saw the now-defunct Challenger Institute established after many years of name changes, operating at various times as South Metropolitan Technical College, South Metropolitan College of TAFE and Challenger TAFE, while Swan TAFE came into being in January of 2003 following a merger of Midland College of TAFE, South East Metropolitan College of TAFE and the Balga Campus of West Coast College of TAFE.
The formation in 2009 of a new West Australian training department resulted in the launch of a state government training blueprint, Training WA. Integral to this report was the call for public training organisations to become more autonomous, with the government giving TAFE colleges greater scope for flexibility and innovation. As a result of this change, the name Challenger Institute of Technology was formally adopted on 15 December 2009 while Swan TAFE became Polytechnic West.
In February 2016, a new reform of TAFE in WA resulted in further merges, seeing Challenger Institute of Technology and Polytechnic West campuses become one under the umbrella of South Metropolitan TAFE.
In January 2017, the final transition from that reform resulted in Balga and Midland campuses moving to the operations of North Metropolitan TAFE.
In it's first year of operation, South Metropolitan TAFE was named as the Best Large Training Provider in the WA Training Awards.