Skills plan to guide actions

The leader of the Wimmera’s higher-education campus says new leadership roles will continue to foster student and business collaboration across the region.

Federation University TAFE Wimmera campus director Christine Brown said appointments to the TAFE’s Wimmera Aboriginal Education Centre and a newly-created position, manager of the institution’s Victorian Skills Plan projects, were critcal to achieving the campus’s ambition to make a dent in the region’s skills shortages.

The State Government’s Victorian Skills Plan, released in August, outlines goals to link TAFEs and vocational training institutions with students and businesses in need of trained workers.

It included the following ambitions: To start the Vocational Education and Training, VET, journey at school; to enable learners and workers to make informed skilling and career choices; expand opportunities and approaches for students to put theory into practice during their course; to build foundation sills to enhance workforce participation; bridge the gender gap; build skills to support Victoria’s clean economy intentions; create innovative solutions to support future skills development; align qualifications to new needs, build the VET workforce; expand re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities through skillsets; and drive for higher skills and progression through education and training.

Vanessa O’Loughlin has taken the role of skills plan delivery manager.

“I think all 11 actions listed in the Victorian skills plan are relevant and apply to our region. I am excited to contribute in a really meaningful way to developing the current and future workforce by engaging the whole community,” she said.

“The skills plan discusses, in detail, increasing participation rates of young people, unemployed, underemployed and women and I am looking forward to being part of the solution.”

Tracey-Lee Beer will head the campus’s ‘Wimmera Aboriginal student success’ office.

She said the centre would advocate for, and support, the skills ambition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

“As the new Aboriginal student success officer, I hope to increase enrolments and course completions in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within the Wimmera,” she said.

She said campus staff and students had made her feel welcome and part of a holistic skills team.