Trade Training Centre – Western Access

How The We$t Ha$ Won with Trade Training

The Western metropolitan region of Melbourne has been the big winner in gaining millions of dollars of investment in infrastructure to attract young people into trade-related skill shortage employment pathways.

The three Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLENs) across the region – Brimbank/Melton, Wyndham/Hobsons Bay and Maribyrnong/Moonee Valley – have led the region in bringing together schools from Government and non-Government sectors, TAFEs, local community agencies, local councils and business, to submit for stand-alone facilities as well as new buildings on existing school sites.

With the new funding announced on November 4 2010 for Wyndham, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong and Brimbank of $32m, added to the $22m already secured for Brimbank and Melton in 2009, the Western metropolitan region has now attracted $54m of Commonwealth Government Investment in the last two years.  This represents 23% of the total funding allocated to Victoria since the funding program began!

As Chair of Brimbank/Melton LLEN and local businesswoman, Christina MacGregor said, “The LLENs in the West occupy a critical space in our community – their role of brokering partnerships and advocating for change to better support our young people keeps us all on our toes and thinking about how we can contribute, support and initiate.  The success in attracting this fantastic new infrastructure funding to the West is a perfect example of the benefit of having a LLEN working with our community for the benefit of our young people”.

Western Access Trade Training Centre Attracts Multi-Million Dollar Funding

The Western Access VET Cluster, initiated by the Brimbank/Melton Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) and the Maribyrnong/Moonee Valley LLEN, was formed in 2009 between schools in the Brimbank and Maribyrnong area joined loosely by the Western Highway.

The first action they took as a group was to develop a submission to the Commonwealth Government for funding under the Trade Training Centres in Schools grants.  Despite being told their submission was unlikely to be successful and to wait for the next funding round, the Principals and LLENs took the view that you never know what could happen, so it is better to get the submission in now and re-submit if not successful.

The persistence of the LLENs and local schools drawn from government and non-government sectors proves the old motto correct – “You have to be in it, to win it”.  To the delight of everyone and especially our schools which are overdue for new infrastructure investment, their submission to the Commonwealth for new Trade Training Centres in Brimbank and Maribyrnong was accepted and around $13m has been approved to build centres at:

Name of School	VET Course
Caroline Chisholm Catholic College	Electro-technology
Footscray City Secondary College	Avionics & Horticulture
St Albans Secondary College	Hospitality
Sunshine College (North Campus)	Carpentry Bricklaying Engineering Hairdressing
Victoria University Secondary College (Cairnlea Campus)	Telecommunications Plastering Painting & Decorating Refrigeration Airconditioning

Students in Western Access Cluster schools from Maribyrnong and Brimbank will also have access to VET courses funded by the Trade Training Centre funding gained in 2008-09 as well as the VET courses that the Brimbank Cluster has been offering over many years, including:

Name of School	VET Course
Copperfield College (Delahey)	Automotive Electro-technology
Keilor Downs College	Building & Construction
Marian College	Hospitality Hairdressing
Catholic Regional College Sydenham	Hospitality Pastry Baking Picture Framing Printing/Signage

The students of Melton will also be able to access the following new trade facilities as provided to the Western Edge VET cluster by the Trade Training Centre in Schools.

Building and Construction, Electrotechnology, Engineering and Hairdressing.

Successful applications by the BMLLEN has resulted in 25 new trade facilities for our schools.