Delivering Higher Education 'at Your Doorstep'

17 June 2009

Delivering Higher Education 'at Your Doorstep'

On Wednesday 29 April, representatives from East Gippsland Institute of TAFE met with colleagues from Deakin University to progress the ‘Deakin at Your Doorstep’ initiative for East Gippsland.

This program will potentially offer local residents the opportunity to gain a broad range of Higher Education qualifications without having to leave the Gippsland region.
The 2 year ‘Deakin at Your Doorstep qualifications’ would be jointly offered by East Gippsland TAFE and Deakin University.

Should the Deakin University Board approve the program at its July meeting, the program could be available at the Bairnsdale Campus of EG TAFE as early as 2010 and in Sale in 2011.

Graduates of these courses would receive two qualifications, a Diploma in their area of study, and an Associate Degree, which would deliver recognition for up to one-and-a-half years’ towards a three year degree in their area of study at Deakin University.
Angela Hutson, CEO of East Gippsland TAFE said “we are delighted to be engaged in discussions with Deakin University about the potential to offer the Associate Degrees from Bairnsdale and Sale. While we are still negotiating with Deakin, this option would provide East Gippsland students with a fabulous opportunity to access Higher level qualifications locally without incurring the expense of traveling or relocating to Melbourne or other areas.”

Ms Hutson said “Gippsland – and particularly East Gippsland – is enormously disadvantaged when you compare the Higher Education offerings that are available in other Victorian regional areas. East Gippsland TAFE is actively working to redress this shortfall. Our aim is for Sale and Bairnsdale to become the tertiary education hubs of the eastern Victorian region.”