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North east tertiary education gets a $3.3 million boost from Victorian Coalition Government

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Minister for Higher Education and Skills Peter Hall and the Member for Shepparton and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Jeanette Powell today announced the Victorian Coalition Government was investing $3.3 million to boost participation rates in vocational and higher education and grow jobs in the state's north east.

Mr Hall and Mrs Powell, speaking at Shepparton's GOTAFE campus, said the state government funding would be directed to three innovative projects involving a consortium of universities and TAFE institutes.

"The Coalition Government will contribute $3.3 million as part of its $20 million Regional Partnerships Facilitation Fund to projects to increase participation in the region's important food and dairy manufacturing industry and boost the number of local students, including indigenous and refugee students, in higher education and training," Mr Hall said.

Mr Hall said the innovative projects included:

• $2.2 million to a project to increase local access to higher education and training. The U2Uni project, being developed by Swinburne University and Mansfield Adult Continuing Education (MACE), will be delivered across 12 locations including Mansfield, Shepparton, Wodonga, Wangaratta and Benalla.
• $650,000 to the Strengthening Regional Food and Dairy Manufacturing Education project involving GOTAFE and the University of Ballarat. The project will deliver tailored food science, technology and management programs for the dairy and food manufacturing industry through a range of certificate and diploma courses.
• $468,000 to a project involving La Trobe University, GOTAFE, SuniTAFE and Bendigo TAFE to increase higher education participation among indigenous and refugee students.

Mrs Powell welcomed the funding, describing it as a significant boost to the region.

"This Government's investment will strengthen regional food and dairy manufacturing and deliver programs that will help Indigenous and refugee students gain access to higher education," Ms Powell said.

"Access to tertiary education and the opportunities it offers are important factors in assisting people gain meaningful employment in rural and regional Victoria.

"The whole community benefits from increased opportunities for people to access higher education and the employment opportunities that flow from it," Mrs Powell said.

The Regional Partnership Facilitation Fund, which is part of the Victorian Government's

$1 billion Regional Growth Fund, is designed to increase alliances between universities and Vocational Education and Training providers in rural and regional Victoria.

"Rates of higher education participation and attainment among young people from regional Victoria are much lower than those from Melbourne and the government is committed to addressing this imbalance," Mr Hall said.

Mr Hall said census data showed 11 per cent of people in regional Victoria had a higher education qualification, compared to 20 per cent in metropolitan Melbourne.

"It is pleasing to see higher education and vocational education providers getting together to deliver programs that seek to increase the participation and attainment rates of regional students," Mr Hall said.

"I would like to congratulate GOTAFE, La Trobe University, SuniTAFE, Bendigo TAFE, Goulburn Oven Institute of TAFE, Swinburne University of Technology, Mansfield Adult Continuing Education and University of Ballarat for putting together these exciting and innovative new programs."

About the programs

$2.2 million for a Facilitated Online Regional Learning Model called U2Uni to provide realistic options into higher education, tertiary education transition skills and mentoring support to students in the north east.

Over a two-year period the project will support and enable 140 new learners to progress through a three-tiered pathway beginning with study at a diploma level and transitioning through multiple pathways to associate degree and to a degree-level university qualification.

The first students will begin VET diploma-level courses in February 2012. The program enables students to progress to a Swinburne associate degree in year two and to the third year of a Swinburne undergraduate degree in year three.

Partners: Swinburne University of Technology and Mansfield Adult Continuing Education (MACE).

Strengthening Regional Food and Dairy Manufacturing Education project

$650,000 towards tailored food science, technology and management programs for the dairy and food manufacturing industries.

In 2013 at least 90 regional students are expected to participate in courses with embedded industry engagement and clear articulation pathways ranging from certificate IV to bachelor degree.

The project, endorsed by Dairy Australia, will help improve access to specialised training in areas where there is a recognised shortage of suitable training and university courses.

Partners: Goulburn Ovens TAFE (GOTAFE) and the University of Ballarat. The project will strengthen access to education and training opportunities in regional Victoria using a strong industry engagement model focused on the food, dairy and manufacturing industries.

Tertiary Enabling Program

$460,000 to expand the Tertiary Enabling Program to Bendigo, Shepparton and Mildura.

The Tertiary Enabling Program provides an 18-week foundation course designed to prepare students for tertiary education study. The program is aimed at Aboriginal and refugee students and has the potential to prepare 90 students a year for tertiary education across the four sites. It is anticipated over 40 per cent of students who have been through the program may continue on to higher education courses.

Trained Aboriginal and refugee mentors will be used in and out of class to support integration into higher education. Personalised learning programs will support academic and social engagement.

The program targets two groups that are typically difficult to engage in tertiary education and has the support of some significant local Aboriginal organisations and the Ethnic Council of Shepparton.

Partners: La Trobe University, Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE (BRIT), Sunraysia Institute of TAFE (SuniTAFE) and Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE (GOTAFE).

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