Mobile GOTAFE campus to benefit 200,000 northern Victorians

By Rosa Ritchie

Nov 4, 2021

Ready to roam: Victorian Training and Skills Minister Gayle Tierney and GOTAFE chief executive Travis Heeney celebrate the launch of the mobile campus. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

A repurposed semi-trailer transformed into a mobile Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE campus hit the road on Thursday, November 4, to improve access to training and career counselling for the regional and rural communities spread across 40,000 sq km in northern Victoria.

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When GOTAFE board chair Diana Taylor imagines who it will benefit, in her mind’s eye she sees a woman who is a busy parent, as well as a carer for her elderly parents, and who never imagined further education would be available to her — until she saw GOTAFE’s brilliant, bright orange mobile campus parked on the main street of her regional town.

“It will open up education to people who thought it wasn’t possible for them,” she said.

Warm and welcoming: GOTAFE board chair Diana Taylor says the mobile campus will be accessible to people of all abilities, and from all backgrounds. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

GOTAFE’s mobile campus will offer its services to prospective students, job-seekers and industry and community groups, during a time when regional communities are facing never-before-seen social and economic challenges.

GOTAFE chief executive Travis Heeney said the mobile campus would help respond to the adversity regional communities faced, by reducing the need to travel or relocate for training.

“We’re taking education out to the community, instead of expecting them to come to us,” he said.

“At the heart of the mobile campus is hope to bridge the gap between our communities and deliver critical employment and education services, regardless of location, access and financial barriers.”

The fully accessible mobile campus features a client reception area, private career counselling space, workshop and seminar space, and a community computer lab.

The cleverly converted four-wheeler will allow GOTAFE to support an additional 200,000 northern Victorians over the next three years.

The $850,000 mobile campus was made possible with $667,000 of funding from the Victorian Government, in partnership with GOTAFE and La Trobe University.

Come inside: The GOTAFE mobile campus features computer labs and ample space for seminars and conversation. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

Victorian Training and Skills Minister Gayle Tierney said when the mobile campus waltzed into town she wanted everyone to knock on the door and see what possibilities were waiting for them.

GOTAFE’s newfound ability to reach people in remote places has the potential to transform communities over time.

“The first thing I would like to see is the confidence built,“ Ms Tierney said.

“That people know that they can stay in their own communities if they want to, and get the skills in their local communities, and get the jobs that are available in their local communities.

“And that younger people in our regional communities see that happening and they know that they can have a great opportunity as well.

“It's about building regional Victoria and building career prospects for regional kids.”

Education on wheels: The repurposed semi-trailer is a modern, well-equipped classroom and career development space. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

GOTAFE launched the mobile campus in Nagambie on Thursday, and from November onwards the repurposed truck is set to visit the Alpine, Benalla, Campaspe, Gannawarra, Hume, Indigo, Macedon Ranges, Mansfield, Mitchell, Moira, Murrindindi, Greater Shepparton, Strathbogie and Towong local government areas.

It will stay in each location for three to five days.

Taungurung Elder Aunty Jo Honeysett delivered a Welcome to Country at the launch of the mobile campus, and said providing opportunities to often-overlooked groups was a wonderful thing.

“To bring education to communities is something long overdue,” she said.

GOTAFE will work in partnership with 13 local governments, and team up with job active networks and financial support services, with the aim of ensuring the new initiative takes a “community-centred approach”.