Thursday 16 May 2019

Students in Gippsland will now be learning at an institute with instant recognition and connection to the local community, with Federation Training today unveiling its new name.

The Member for Eastern Victoria Region Harriet Shing today announced that Federation Training will now be known as TAFE Gippsland.

The new name and identity is the result of extensive community and stakeholder feedback that highlighted the need for the institute’s name to link directly to the Gippsland region.

The consultation involved discussions with local community members, businesses, government, industry partners, and schools.

The TAFE Gippsland name reflects the institute’s connection with its local community, its strong history and work as a leading provider of training in the Gippsland region.

Thousands of Victorians are on the way to getting the skills they need to secure jobs in high-demand industries, with more than 19,000 students enrolled in Free TAFE courses – including more than 1,000 students at TAFE Gippsland – driving a doubling of student figures compared to the same TAFE courses at the same time last year.

Students can save up to $2,500 for some pre-apprenticeship courses and up to $5,000 for Certificate IV courses.

For higher level courses such as a Diploma in Nursing or a Diploma in Building and Construction, students will save more than $10,000 through the Free TAFE initiative.

The Labor Government is investing a record amount in the state’s TAFEs to ensure students have the best vocational education facilities and equipment that support their learning and training needs.

This ensures TAFE students are employable and job-ready when entering the workforce, while also ensuring TAFEs align with industry needs and best-practice standards.

The Victorian Budget 2018/19 saw a huge investment in TAFE Capital works in the region with $35.5 million to redevelop the TAFE Gippsland Morwell Campus, including a Future Skills Training Centre and a Technical Training Centre of Excellence and $25 million for TAFE Gippsland’s Port of Sale Development.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria Region Harriet Shing

“The move to re-name TAFE Gippsland is the direct result of consultation with the community – it’s crucial that we reflect importance of a local connection for Gippslanders while we continue our investment in local campuses and courses across the region.”  

“We are making training more accessible and affordable for Victorians. The increased number of students at TAFE Gippsland is showing the popularity – and importance – of the Free TAFE program, while we increase local opportunities for employment.”