A new vocational education campus on Werribee’s main street is aimed at providing training for jobs in the Wyndham region.
Gordon Institute opened its doors on Watton Street on August 22, offering a range of courses in business administration, disability and age caring, and early childhood education.
The institute’s Wyndham development manager, Brendan Quirk, said the campus was funded through the state government’s Back to Work funding scheme and created in a bid to train people of all ages for employment in the growth area.
“The business administration courses will focus on the healthcare sector and ‘individual support’ courses will provide training for those looking to work in aged or disability care,” he said.
The early childhood education courses will train people to work in day care and childcare.
Vocational education and training (VET) courses will also be offered to year 11 and 12 students.
The new Watton Street campus, on two floors, features practical training areas for those studying childcare or aged-care nursing.
Mr Quirk said Wyndham was identified as an area in need of the campus for reasons that included its growing population, new hospital and re-development of the existing Mercy hospital.
He said the average age of students at the institute was 30, demonstrating a wide range of ages were enrolled. A focus of the courses was industry engagement that allowed students to complete placements.
Gordon Institute is no stranger to Wyndham. It has a campus in conjunction with Deakin University and specialising in construction training at Bridge Street in Werribee. It also teaches horticulture at Werribee Park and uses the Melbourne University campus in Werribee for veterinary studies.
