TAFE students in Seymour are now enjoying state-of-the-art facilities after a new training centre was officially opened last week.
Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes unveiled the $2.54-million health and community services training facility at the Seymour campus of GOTAFE.
The new centre features integrated teaching facilities, flexible learning spaces, tutorial rooms, lecture theatres, computer labs, a clinical simulation centre to give students realistic training through interactive technology, student amenities and upgraded staff offices.
Among the new industry-standard equipment housed at the centre is a synthetic cadaver (syndaver) that will allow students to learn on a realistic synthetic simulated human body.
The State Government hopes the new facilities will increase student numbers in key areas of skill shortage in the region such as nursing and allied health.
The campus also has a new student hub for students to engage with each other, a new reception area and much improved sense of arrival.
The modern facility will support GOTAFE to partner with industry and universities so it can further develop educational pathways and programs and launch more training in the community.
GOTAFE chief executive Travis Heeney said the health sector was growing in the Seymour region and the training centre included real-world health and nursing equipment that would provide an environment to support job-ready graduates.
“Modernising our Seymour Campus facilities will benefit hundreds of students and support greater collaboration between GOTAFE, community and industry,” he said.
“Training the next generation of health and nursing professionals in the Seymour region is a privilege for us at GOTAFE and providing our current and future students with industry-leading facilities cements our dedication to higher education in this region and putting the student experience at the centre of everything we do.”
Ms Symes said students in Seymour and surrounding communities deserved the best training facilities and the centre delivered opportunities to undertake training that led to a good career.
“Our new health and community services training cacility is a huge win for jobseekers in Seymour and the surrounding areas – providing a pathway to a meaningful career and supporting skills demand in the local industry,” she said.
“We know how lifechanging TAFE and training is to Victorians, which is why we’ll always back the sector through record investments, strengthening training and campuses right across Victoria.”
GOTAFE will offer Certificate III in Individual Support; Certificate IV in Disability; Diploma of Nursing; and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care from the new purpose-built training centre.