Work is officially underway on the Andrews Labor Government’s multimillion-dollar redevelopment of Chisholm TAFE’s Frankston Campus, which will be transformed into a world-class training precinct to help thousands of locals get the skills they need for the jobs they want.
Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney and Member for Frankston Paul Edbrooke to begin construction on the $67.6 million project, which is the second stage of a $151.1 million redevelopment of the Frankston campus.
The new multi-level learning facility will deliver 9,600 square metres of learning spaces – with dedicated Community Services spaces designed to look like industry-specific work environments alongside bespoke spaces for Art and Design courses and VCE/VCAL and Foundation College courses.
The precinct will bring student support services together in a new Student Hub, with gallery space for art students, onsite food and retail outlets and new outdoor spaces for recreation.
It will also connect the campus to the nearby Peninsula Aquatic and Recreation Centre and Frankston Station.
Thanks to the success of the Labor Government’s signature Free TAFE initiative, the new facility will support Chisholm Frankston’s huge enrolment growth of more than 13 per cent in the last year – including larger numbers of women returning to the workforce, CALD students and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
The expansion will give more than 2,000 extra students each year the opportunity to get the skills they need for a rewarding career – with the new building to house students from Free TAFE courses like the Diploma of Community Services, Certificate IV in Mental Health, Certificate IV in Youth Work and Certificate IV in Cyber Security.
This project builds on the first stage of the campus redevelopment, which opened in 2019 with new facilities for nursing, allied health, early childhood education, hair and beauty, plumbing, construction and electrical courses – with replica hospital wards and trade sites to give students the experience they need to leave TAFE job-ready.
Construction on the second stage will be complete next year, and will create 132 great local jobs, including 25 apprentices – as well as creating at least 30 new teaching positions over the next decade.
The Chisholm project is one of many projects the Labor Government is delivering to give communities across Victoria a great local TAFE, as part of the $220 million Building Better TAFEs Fund.
The Government has made a record $3.2 billion investment since 2014 to rebuild TAFE and support universities and higher education – making sure every Victorian has access to the education they need for the jobs they want.
As stated by Premier Daniel Andrews
“Whether you’re studying mental health, youth work to cybersecurity, this new campus will give locals from Frankston and beyond all the tools they need to embark on an exciting new career in in-demand sectors.”
As stated by Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney
“We’re proud to be continuing our work to make TAFE better than ever – after the sector was gutted by the former Liberal ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Government, we’re improving and building campuses to create more opportunities for Victorians.”
As stated by Member for Frankston Paul Edbrooke
“This will be a game changer for local jobseekers, giving them the chance to get great training in a world-class facility in their own backyard, with a pathway to meaningful careers anywhere in Victoria.”
As stated by Chisholm TAFE CEO Stephen Varty
“This second stage of development takes us one step closer to delivering on Chisholm’s ambition to transform lives through relevant and responsive high quality education.”
