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New Wangaratta TEC opens

Wangaratta's new Technical Education Centre (TEC), a joint initiative of the Victorian Government, GOTAFE and Wangaratta High School opens today in Cusack Street with a total of 393 student enrolments.

Wangaratta High School makes up over half of the enrolments (234) with the remaining enrolments coming from other schools such as Galen Catholic College and Cathedral College and from GOTAFE itself.

A further 200 Wangaratta High School students are undertaking TAFE Tasters in 2010.

The Wangaratta TEC is one of four such centres in Victoria which open up opportunities for vocational education training for young people 15-20 years of age. The other three TECs are located in Ballarat, Heidelberg and Berwick.

The TEC has been funded by the Victorian Government at a cost of $8m and is a core element of the government's skills strategy to address the national skills shortage.

The TEC was designed by architects Jovaras Westland of Wodonga and constructed by Browns of Wangaratta.

According to Thomas Greene, General Manager at GOTAFE, "the Wangaratta TEC is unique initiative due to the partnership with Wangaratta High School".

"The students are taught by teachers from Wangaratta High School and GOTAFE which provides them with the best of two worlds secondary school and TAFE," said Mr Greene.

"The students today are quite privileged", says Heather Sarau, Principal of Wangaratta High School. "The TEC has been specially designed to be youth-friendly and will cater for a range of learning styles in both formal and informal spaces. A lot of attention has been given to the use of computer technology, flexible spaces, natural light, colour and furniture to ensure it appeals to young people."

Mrs Sarau also says "students will have a range of support services such as mentors, counselling, pathways planning and work placements to ensure they complete their VCE or VCAL successfully."

The opportunity to start TEC courses in 2007-2009 at the high school's Vincent Road campus has also ensured students from the last three years have not missed out on opportunities while the new facilities were built.

TEC students study a wide range of courses. The traditional trades such as Building & Construction, Plumbing, Furnishings, Automotive, Engineering, Electrical, Hairdressing and Hospitality (Cookery) are particularly popular. Students also study courses such as Art & Design, Business, Health & Community Services, Conservation & Land Management, Equine, Horticulture, Information Technology, Sport & Recreation and Viticulture.

Key features of the TEC include five open plan learning spaces, two learning studios with interactive white boards, two learning commons (flexible spaces for independent learning and relaxation), a technology studio for retail cosmetics, a computer drafting studio, a trades workshop to teach the use of hand tools, a building barn for large scale constructions and a range of other small group spaces for students and teachers.

TEC students also have access to the wide range of workshops, classrooms and amenities at GOTAFE's Docker Street campus, Barr Reserve campus and the new Rural Industries Campus Wangaratta in Tone Road.

For more information please visit the TEC website.

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