New sites for new faces at TAFE on the Gold Coast
Millions have been spent across a number of sites to reform TAFE services on the Gold Coast.
One campus will have a $7 million refurbishment, an entirely new complex is being built, and staff and students from a third site have been moved to the Southern Cross University TAFE.
Gold Coast TAFE CEO Aaron Devine says there has been a scaling-down of activities across several sites, consolidating services to the three main TAFEs.
“It's not as simple as a new building, it's about a new approach to learning in a number of our programs and that's quite an exciting time for us,” Mr Devine said.
“The intention of the classrooms is not to just simply to refurbish them but we are actually changing the model of our delivery to encourage greater levels of collaboration between students, greater uses of IT and increased flexibility for students in the way they learn.”
The first stage of works on the Southport TAFE is nearing completion.
The project will see the multi-level complex given a full remodelling, so that it can be a modern education centre for the 10,000 full and part-time students enrolling in 2015.
The Southport campus will be geared primarily toward health and community services when it is completed next January, Mr Devine says.
“It's on the light rail stop which is the direct link-up to the new Gold Coast Hospital and also provides good access to our partners at Griffith,” he said.
“In addition, we will look at hospitality training, general education, business training.”