A Victorian government initiative to introduce free TAFE courses is proving popular with students, as in excess of 600 have already enrolled at The Gordon in Geelong.
The enrolment figures represent a 28% rise compared with last year’s totals for the same courses. Brochure printing services can be used to provide prospective students with details of courses they wish to take.
Minister for Training and Skills, Gayle Tierney said the free TAFE course provided an easy way for students in Geelong to access training needed to secure jobs in many industries where skilled workers are in demand.
Also announced by Tierney is a new partnership which will see Jamie Oliver’s Minister of Food Project join with The Gordon Institute and the Victorian government to help improve eating habits. She said the joint venture’s introduction into the environment of TAFE, represents an Australian first.
As part of the project, 18 hospitality and cookery trainees and apprentices will take part in courses that will provide the know-how and skills to purchase fresh food and transform it into healthy and tasty meals.
Tierney said the TAFE programme was introduced at a cost of $172 million and involved 20 pre-apprenticeship and 30 priority TAFE courses which are all tuition-free.
At The Gordon, the choice of courses takes in everything from the Diploma of Nursing and Advanced Diploma of Accounting to apprenticeship pathway classes in horticulture, construction and automotive.
Students can download the full list of free TAFE courses available at The Gordon by visiting the TAFE’s website.