Bendigo TAFE continues to provide access to industry-leading education opportunities and greener futures with the implementation of three major projects that will impact the Bendigo community and wider regional Victoria.
Improving education access, upskilling in the latest technology, and embracing green power are some of the ways Bendigo TAFE are supporting the future education needs of our community.
This is thanks to an investment of more than $2 million from the Victorian Government.
Last year, 638 solar panels were installed at Bendigo TAFE to deliver a 319kW system and 80kW electric vehicle charger at its Charleston Road Campus as part of its journey to support a cleaner energy future.
The new system will save an estimated 490.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year and will also benefit the students at Bendigo TAFE, who will get hands-on experience working with the new technology as part of the electrotechnology curriculum.
Bendigo TAFE will use around 70 per cent of the power generated from the system, saving more than $36,000 on electricity costs annually.
CEO of Bendigo TAFE, Sally Curtain said the project was the first of its kind at Bendigo TAFE.
“We can monitor our daily energy usage and see the impact we are having.
“Working with a local installer via RACV Solar was fantastic and allowed us to support local specialists on a vital infrastructure project, and it has really delivered on our projected outcomes. The financial and environmental savings have exceeded expectations,” said Curtain.
The second of the three green projects at Bendigo TAFE is the Smart Farm Laboratory at the Bendigo Charleston Road Campus.
The new Smart Farm Laboratory provides leading training for the next generation of heavy vehicles specialists.
“There’s more technology in a modern-day tractor than there is in a Tesla
“As farm equipment becomes more advanced, the reliance on precision electronics and complex mechanical systems means you need a different skill set to maintain it,” said heavy vehicle teacher, Jono Williams.
The final project paving the way for a greener future and a skilled workforce at Bendigo Tafe is the Mobile Training Van that involves electrical motor rewinding.
With an increasing reliance on imported machinery, an ageing workforce and limited new apprentices coming through the sector, providing access to this sought-after course is limited.
To address this problem Bendigo TAFE has introduced a new electrical motor rewinding mobile training van to enable a dispersed population of apprentices to access this important education.
The van is purpose-built and fitted out with the technical power requirements and equipment to meet the needs of industry across the nation, thanks to Victorian Government funding.
It allows Bendigo TAFE’s teachers to go out on-site with modern and up-to-date equipment to engage apprentices training in machine repair.
Many appliances across industries have electric rotating motors, replacing older and less environmentally friendly power sources in electrical goods.