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ANNUAL CRICKET MATCH A BIG HIT
Churchill Primary School welcomed two sets of tw wins on their first day of school last Thursday. Tom and Charlie Kerslake and Charlott tte t and Amelia McKinnell were among hundreds of new Prep students heading to the classroom across the Latrobe Valley.
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STORY - PAGE 7 photograph tessa randello
FREE TO BE TAFE Gippsland is encouraging students to take advantage of some of the 40 free courses on offer as part of the state government’s Free TAFE for Priority Courses initiative. The free courses are targeting the region’s growth sectors such as allied health, new energy technology, food and fibre and hospitality and tourism. TAFE Gippsland has also launched two new free courses this year, the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and Certificate II in Security Operations. TAFE Gippsland chief executive officer
Darren Chester
Diploma of Community Services student Char Sanderson said free TAFE allowed her to pursue her dream career after losing her job in childcare due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Not having an income to study a Diploma in Community Services, this would cost me thousands and thousands of dollars and I just don’t have that money,” Ms Sanderson said. “I would love to work in child protection or in anything that protects children, or housing to help families, just to give people the same opportunities I had when I was a kid.” Labor Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing was at the Traralgon
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campus last week to welcome students back to face-to-face learning. Ms Shing said free TAFE courses would prospects for those who cannot afford to study or assist people with the transition into different careers. “We want to make sure we remove as many barriers as possible to increase enrolments and make sure we are punching above our weight in Gippsland,” Ms Shing said. “This will deliver local pathways and education opportunities in Gippsand and make sure that the jobs that are out there ready to be taken are filled by people with the right skill sets.”
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Grant Radford there had been a “huge uptake” in enrolments since free TAFE began in 2019. Enrolments in some courses such as the Certificate III/Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care were up by 300 per cent since included in the scheme. Mr Radford said free TAFE also offered some students a pathway into university, citing particular successes for those completing a nursing diploma going on to a nursing degree. “This allows us to keep people living and studying in the region and getting employment in the region,” Mr Radford said.
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