20 February 2014
Australia’s newest tertiary education and training institution launched
Situated on the site of the former Swinburne University Prahran campus, Melbourne Polytechnic is an exciting new educational brand operated by parent Institute, Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT).
The Melbourne Polytechnic currently has around 80 programs on offer ranging from vocational certificates, diplomas and advanced diplomas and a growing selection of higher education programs. Students can choose from courses in design, visual arts, theatre arts, music performance, digital media, writing and editing, and photography plus studies in business, hospitality, beauty, community studies, and more.
Melbourne Poly will enrol about 600 students in 2014 and is planned to grow to about 2000 students.
Melbourne Poly has also committed to a partnership with La Trobe University which will see La Trobe University programs delivered as part of the new institution. The first of these programs, The Bachelor of Agriculture and Technology, will be delivered at NMIT Epping campus although it is likely that La Trobe programs will also be delivered through Melbourne Polytechnic’s Prahran campus into the future. This partnership is seen as central to the future success of the new Polytechnic.
Speaking at the launch, NMIT/Melbourne Polytechnic CEO, Andy Giddy said:
The establishment of Melbourne Polytechnic at Prahran opens up significant opportunities for the communities of central and south east Melbourne. We’re very excited to be continuing the educational heritage of the Prahran site and look forward to delivering high quality and affordable vocational and higher education to the region.
Victorian higher education minister Peter Hall described the new institution as an example of an “innovative and responsive approach to education that meets the needs of the community and industry.”
La Trobe university vice-chancellor John Dewar called for a revision of Australia’s Higher Education Threshold Standards to allow formal recognition of university-type institutions with an orientation to teaching rather than research – institutions which are common throughout the rest of the world.
With a reputed going price of up to $40 million, the Prahran campus has initially been leased from Swinburne for a five year period while financing options for purchase are explored.
One option is sub-leasing part of the site to an international hotel school.
Giddy has flagged NMIT asset “rationalisations” noting that it is in the process of seeking buyers for its Greensborough campus. He said expressions of interest in Greensborough could go out within the next few months.
Labor’s higher education and skills spokesman Steve Herbert said this would be “indefensible” and that NMIT would be duty bound to invest any proceeds from Greensborough in the north. He claimed NMIT would effectively be taking money out of the north to “bail out” the Napthine government from a political problem in Prahran, a government-held seat.
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