FEBRUARY 18, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
Mums on the green The Keilor Bowls Club is calling on young mums to take to the green. The club has just launched Bowling with Babies, a program which encourages young parents to bring their babies to the green for a bowl and chat. Keilor Bowls Club chairman Joe Watkins said it’s a good way to try something new. “This is a great opportunity for young parents to participate in something they probably never have,” he said. “It’s also a venue for a meet and greet situation – there’ll be coffee provided, time for a chat about life in general and the opportunity to learn a bit about the game of bowls.” The program will be held each Thursday morning from 10.30am-12.30pm. Mr Watkins said early interest had been a positive sign. “This is a whole new program for us. We don’t know how successful it’s going to be, but we’ve had a lot of interest from mums to date. “It’s for mums and dads with a bub up to about three years old. “They might like bowls, they might not, but it’s more like a social event for everyone to see the facility.” Tate Papworth
Joe Watkins with Giuliett, Mason, Tyler, Brodie, Sebastian, Lucas and Andrea. (Joe Mastroianni) 204466_04
VU skills hub unveiled Victoria University has unveiled a $30 million state of the art skills hub at its Sunshine campus. The Sunshine Skills Hub includes a health and community services centre of excellence, an innovation and incubation space, and a learning commons. The innovation centre is equipped with teaching rooms with new technology to teach students advanced manufacturing, rapid prototype development and problem-solving skills. It will also give students the opportunity
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The skills that students develop … will drive innovation - Gayle Tierney
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to get hands-on experience using robotics, virtual reality, writing code, 3D printers and exercising their problem-solving skills. The new facility is poised to play a major role in Brimbank’s big build, which will aim to link students directly into local jobs created by major infrastructure projects slated for the municipality in the near future. St Albans MP Natalie Suleyman said the
benefits will be felt across the west. “This is a big day for Melbourne’s west. Victoria University has played a critical role for the past 100 years in providing the community practical training and its new Skills Hub will contribute to a thriving economy and the jobs of the future,” Ms Suleyman said. Training, Skills and Higher Education Minister Gayle Tierney opened the facility last week and said it will be a pivotal link between education and industry. “The skills that students develop at the Sunshine Skills Hub will drive innovation and support Victoria’s future economic success,” Ms Tierney said.
“The Sunshine Skills Hub will be an important link between our schools, TAFEs, universities and industry.” The hub will also allow the university to expand its course offerings. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Grant Dreher said the hub had been purpose built. “This impressive state-of-the-art learning space offers students, people from industry and our community a dynamic, technologically innovative environment,” Mr Dreher said. “The facility is purpose-designed to reflect the innovative nature of the programs it will offer as we prepare students and industry for the future of work.”
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By Tate Papworth