Some of Victoria’s largest employers are at the forefront of an emerging trend in which big business is partnering with the TAFE sector to design custom courses to train the workers they need.
Microsoft, BlueScope, Volvo, and the Essendon AFL club feature in a new report out today, highlighting TAFE and private-sector joint ventures designed to address real business challenges.
The report, Partners in Productivity, released by the Victorian TAFE Association, showcases how Victoria’s TAFEs and dual-sector universities are partnering with employers to solve skills shortages, drive innovation and build workforce capability across sectors.
The report demonstrates how co-designed training programs are delivering benefits for businesses while creating meaningful career pathways for Victorians in digital technology, manufacturing, health, sport, clean energy, logistics and infrastructure.
Victorian TAFE Association Chief Executive Officer Alex White said the examples demonstrated the value of genuine collaboration between public vocational training providers and employers.
“Victoria’s TAFEs are critical economic infrastructure for our state,” Mr White said.
“By bringing together the operational expertise of industry with the applied training expertise of TAFEs, these partnerships are creating bespoke courses and qualifications and delivering workforce solutions that help some of Victoria’s largest businesses innovate, grow and remain competitive.”
“Each case study demonstrates what is possible when public education and private enterprise work together in genuine partnership – creating stronger businesses, more resilient communities and better outcomes for learners.”
Partnerships featured in the report include:
- Microsoft Datacentre Academy: a co-designed partnership between Victoria University, Microsoft and the Victorian Government delivering industry-aligned data centre training.
- BlueScope-Box Hill Institute steelworks program: a tailored, on-site training partnership delivering a Certificate IV program to upskill steelworks employees in leadership, safety and process improvement.
- Digital Health Skills Program: a collaboration between RMIT, Cisco and Grampians Health that developed bespoke training to prepare healthcare workers for major digital transformation projects.
- Renewable Energy Centre of Excellence: a partnership involving TAFE Gippsland, SouthWest TAFE, Federation University and Southerly Ten to develop workforce capability for Victoria’s growing offshore wind and renewable energy sector.
- Hanwha Defence Australia and The Gordon: a strategic workforce development partnership supporting major defence manufacturing projects and helping build advanced manufacturing capability in Geelong.
“These partnerships are what allows our TAFEs and dual-sector universities to improve social and economic inclusion for over 200 thousand TAFE students each year,” Mr White said.
“It’s incredible to see that come to light in this report.”
Media contacts
Pia Akerman
The Shape Agency
0412 346 746
Rebecca Urban
The Shape Agency
0411 790 304
About the Victorian TAFE Association
The Victorian TAFE Association (VTA) is the peak body for the Victorian TAFE sector, comprising Victoria’s 12 TAFE Institutes, four dual sector universities and AMES Australia. We proudly champion public vocational education and training (VET) with a focus on sustainability, quality, and outcomes for learners, industry, and community.