The reason only one per cent of plumbing students finished their free TAFE course is because so many went on to secure apprenticeships, the Victorian premier says.
Just 18 of 1514 students enrolled in the certificate IV in plumbing and services in 2019 and 2020 completed their course, according to data obtained by the state opposition under Freedom of Information laws.
It also revealed one in 10 students completed their certificate IV in engineering and one in three finished their diploma in building and construction, while 17 per cent finished their certificate IV in child, youth and family intervention.
The completion rate was about 40 per cent for those enrolled in a certificate IV for ageing support, mental health, agriculture and the advanced diploma in building surveying, while 47 per cent completed their early childhood education diploma.
However, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan described the program as an "outstanding success" as even starting a course helped many students secure an apprenticeship they needed to become fully qualified.
"They may not have completed their free TAFE course but they've gone and got a job and they're on their pathway towards a career in a really important industry," Ms Allan told reporters on Thursday.
She said the free program opened up pathways for people who otherwise would not have pursued further education and their chosen career due to cost.
Students who took up the offer of industry experience were recorded as a non-completion despite getting a job in the field while the overall TAFE completion rate was 53.7 per cent since free courses were introduced, a government spokesperson said.
Opposition spokeswoman Bridget Vallence found the low completion rates "astonishing".
"Courses in plumbing, construction, mental health and early childhood have incredibly low rates of completion, as low as one per cent of students finish their course, exacerbating the shortages of workers in these sectors," she said.
"Labor has no chance of fulfilling its promise to build 80,000 new homes each year with so few students finishing their TAFE courses in building and construction."
Free TAFE was rolled out in Victoria in 2018 and eligibility expanded in 2023 to anyone studying courses covering in-demand areas, regardless of prior education levels.
