Upgrades For Gordon In Statewide TAFE Upgrade Blitz

VIC Premier

The Gordon TAFE in Geelong will receive almost $3 million to modernise and upgrade learning spaces and facilities, as part of a funding package announced by the Victorian Government.

Minister for Training and Skills and Higher Education Gayle Tierney today announced every TAFE in Victoria will share in $55 million to carry out essential upgrades to learning facilities and amenities, as well as to re-fit and modernise existing learning spaces to adapt them to deliver more courses.

Close to $3 million will be invested in The Gordon across five projects, including $1 million to refurbish the City campus’ T Building roof and $150,000 to refurbish the main carpark in Fenwick Street, including upgrades to an access stairway and pathways.

A further $930,000 in vital maintenance works will be carried out at the City campus, including upgrades to exhaust fans in the training kitchens and training restaurants, new air-conditioning units and a new hot water system.

A further $900,000 will be invested to upgrade lifts in the campus’ A and T Buildings and upgrade two spraying booths in the Automotive (Collision Repair) department.

All Victorian TAFEs will share in the funding through the TAFE Asset Maintenance Fund, with projects to be delivered in Geelong, Gippsland, Mildura, Warrnambool, Shepparton, Seymour and metropolitan Melbourne.

This investment is on top of an additional $48.8 million available for asset maintenance through the Stronger TAFE fund.

The $55 million investment announced today is part of the $1.81 billion announced by the Government for critical education infrastructure projects for schools and early childhood to help drive the state’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Government is giving Victorians the skills the state needs to respond to the pandemic and prepare for recovery. An extra 18,000 Victorians will be able to train at TAFEs and Learn Locals under a $163 million package of new measures, which includes an expansion of Government’s signature Free TAFE program to prepare the state’s economic recovery from the Coronavirus crisis.

As stated by Minister for Training and Skills and Higher Education Gayle Tierney

“These projects will deliver better facilities for students and staff, and support jobs and local businesses through the pandemic.”

“We’ve rebuilt TAFE and investing to make it even better, because giving Victorians the skills and training they need will be critical to our economic recovery.”

As stated by Member for Geelong Christine Couzens

“This investment will ensure that TAFE students in Geelong continue to receive the very best in training to get them job ready and into paid work.”

/Public Release. View in full here.