Jump in employer support for Kangan Institute and Bendigo TAFE

Kangan Institute and Bendigo TAFE have recorded a significant jump in support from employers of apprentices and trainees, a 2018 report by the State Government finds.

The report, which measures performance in 2018 against 2017, shows the number of employers who would recommend Kangan Institute and Bendigo TAFE for training has risen by 7.4 per cent to 74.3 per cent in 2018.

CEO Trevor Schwenke said the results showed a renewed effort to engage with industry was paying dividends.

“The Victorian Government’s Skills First policy reforms encourage us to engage with industry to deliver the training that industry needs and the results from this report show Bendigo TAFE and Kangan Institute are certainly headed in the right direction,” Mr Schwenke said.

Recent initiatives included the development of customised training programs to produce graduates directly aligned to the specific needs of employers, such as Kangan Institute’s internship pathway program with Nissan Motorsport and the creation of a Health and Community Centre of Excellence at Bendigo TAFE.

“Kangan Institute provides strong foundations of learning across a vast range of automotive trades. We work primarily with students from the Motorsport course where every student has the opportunity to work within a leading Supercar Team. This ultimately fast tracks their careers and prepares them to play a vital role within our sport,” Mr Nick Ryan, General Manager of Nissan Motorsport, said.

Bendigo Health Acting CEO, Peter Faulkner said the partnership with Bendigo TAFE supports Bendigo Health to grow its workforce locally and from surrounding areas.

“Bendigo Health is committed to building a high performing workforce and our training partnership with Bendigo TAFE allows us to ensure high standards of clinical placements, to get to know our future applicants and to learn what they are looking for in an employer, all before they conclude their studies in their chosen field,” said Peter Faulkner, CEO of Bendigo Health, said.

The State Government report also shows satisfaction amongst employers has risen by 3.3 per cent to 75.4 per cent in 2018.

Mr Schwenke said, “Employers are so vitally important to the work we do so I’m very pleased with how well we’ve performed.

“To record a 7.4 per cent rise in a 12-month period shows that our renewed effort to engage with industry, to provide the training they need, is paying dividends.”