A $1M jobs and skills boost has been passed on to GOTAFEs Shepparton and Wangaratta campuses, which is set to lower joblessness rates in the region, and will partner with the planned Trades and Skills Centre which will begin being built behind McGuire College from March next year. The GOTAFE Skills and Jobs Centre, which will be opened on the Corio Street frontage of GOTAFE in Shepparton by the end of the year and is the first of its kind in Victoria, will become the first point-of-call for students in the Greater Shepparton and Wangaratta areas looking to start training, workers needing to re-skill, unemployed workers needing support for retraining and work placement, and for employers. Continued on page 14 Trades and skills boost GOTAFE to receive a share in $1M for Jobs and Skills Centre continued from front page MEMBER for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes made the announcement on behalf of the Minister for Training and Skills, Steve Herbert, saying the centres came about as a tailored response to the need of local communities. The former Liberal National Governments cuts to the training sector came at a time when unemployment and youth unemployment were at extremely high levels in country areas. The centres will particularly help link local jobseekers and employers to ensure they are engaged in quality training that will lead to a job at the end of their course. Tafes, like GOTAFE, will be the key hub for all the Skills and Jobs Centres across Victoria, ensuring that each of the centres is tailored to meet the needs of local communities and industries, with coordinated, intensive support services. The local Skills and Jobs Centres will eliminate confusion about where to get help for locals who want to start training or re-skill in a new industry. A lot of country kids want to live and work in their own towns and Tafes are an integral part of allowing that to happen. Tafe is also a place where early school leavers can come to, and the simple truth is that with some kids, Tafe just works better for them. GOTAFE CEO, Paul Culpun said, GOTAFE heavily works with industry, schools, universities and other stakeholders and so the Jobs and Skills Centre will complement what we are currently doing. This will be all about helping the community and helping them to navigate the complexity of the current training and job seeker system. This will be something to help the region move forward as we deal with some of the challenges facing the community. This centre will also eventually look at working together with the Trades and Skills Centre to be built behind McGuire College, which will begin construction next year. GOTAFE Executive Manager of Strategy and Commercial Development, Ken McLennan said, This centre provides a fantastic opportunity to invest in key areas of needs across the community. This will allow for even greater industry engagement and we are looking forward to collaborating with other industries to help the region move forward.