TAFE looks to ‘a flying start’

As reported in The Border Mail yesterday, the University of Ballarat is pushing to create an umbrella TAFE network called the Menzies University concept.

Wodonga Institute of TAFE chief executive Michael O’Loughlin said Wodonga was already involved with Ballarat in a “dual sector” partnership.

“The Menzies University concept is just a natural extension of that,” he said.

Mr O’Loughlin said this was just one option Wodonga was considering.

“Obviously we’re in very intense discussions with La Trobe University about ways in which we can improve our relationship,” he said.

“The obvious advantage of that is we’re co-located in a sense in Wodonga.”

Mr O’Loughlin said the strength of the Menzies proposal was the degree structure.

Menzies would cover TAFE institutes including Wodonga, Ballarat, Central Gippsland, Goulburn Ovens, Bendigo Regional, Sunraysia and East Gippsland’s Advance TAFE.

“Because Ballarat is already a dual-sector university offering TAFE and university qualifications, their degree structure is much more amenable to an alignment with their qualifications than would be La Trobe,” Mr O’Loughlin said.

“Many of the qualifications are already integrated in a sense — they’re embedded in a degree.”

Mr O’Loughlin said the move would expand the opportunities for Border residents to go from school into degrees “much more readily” than was the case with other universities.

“Some TAFE qualifications count to two years advanced standing to a Ballarat degree and in some cases it’s 18 months or a bit less,” he said.

“It’s a real flying start, a great concept for people here who don’t necessarily for whatever reason go straight to university.”

Wodonga TAFE last week began teaching the University of Ballarat’s applied management degree.

This was a first for Wodonga, allowing it to train its TAFE teachers at a higher education level.

Mr O’Loughlin said that Wodonga TAFE had already formed strong alliances with several universities, including Charles Sturt and Melbourne universities.

Under Menzies, Wodonga TAFE would retain its individual identity.