Labor is ensuring people with disability receive equitable access to training.
Construction has started on The Gordon’s TAFE Centre of Excellence in Disability Inclusion in Geelong.
Minister Tierney visited The Gordon’s Geelong City campus to officially mark the beginning of building works.
The $36 million centre is expected to be complete next year.
The Centre will be built in Geelong, home of WorkSafe, TAC and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
This will create meaningful jobs for people with a disability and a labour pipeline for these services.
A co-creation team of past and current students with disability helped to design the new Centre of Excellence.
It will set the benchmark for providing accessible vocational training and education to people with disability.
Design firm Architectus is leading the work which will include clear signage and navigation, places to stop and rest and landscaped spaces outside.
Facilities in the centre will include best-practice inclusive learning environments for a range of courses, including a state-of-the-art nursing laboratory.
There will also be a student services hub, meeting rooms, low-stimulation spaces, a sensory courtyard and an industry showcase room to demonstrate inclusive design practices.
Best practice developments from this Centre will inform the Victorian TAFE Network.
More than 22,300 Victorians with disabilities have benefitted since Labor introduced free TAFE in 2019. Labor has introduced a Bill to protect Free TAFE and the benefits it delivers for Victorians now and into the future against more Liberal cuts.
We are also providing two new Kangan Institute campuses in Melton and Sunbury in 2028, and a Bendigo TAFE Learning Hub in Castlemaine which opened last year.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney
“This centre will support people with disability to access real skills and employment opportunities.”
“Only Labor governments fully support TAFE.”
“Free TAFE has benefitted more than 225,300 students in Victoria and trains our disability workforce. That’s why we are protecting it.”
Quote attributable to Member for Geelong Chris Couzens
“This new Centre of Excellence at The Gordon will set a new standard for inclusive training and create real job pathways for people with disability right here in Geelong.”
Quotes attributable to The Gordon Chief Executive Officer Joe Ormeno
“The Centre of Excellence in Disability Inclusion embodies The Gordon’s commitment to a more inclusive future –designed with and for our community.”
“By elevating the lived experience of people with disability, we’ll lift training outcomes, open up pathways to secure jobs, and share effective practice across Victoria’s TAFE Network.”
Media contact: Lukas Jamieson 0477 373 170 | lukas.jamieson@minstaff.vic.gov.au
