Students at Federation Training’s Forestec campus will soon have access to even more cutting edge training thanks to a $1.1 million State Government funding boost to the campus.

Member for Eastern Victoria, Harriet Shing, last Thursday announced the funding, which will increase the training opportunities within the forestry sector enabling the purchase and upgrade of equipment requirements to meet new and emerging industry standards.

“The Andrews Government is proud to be investing in these projects, which will play a key role in helping Gippsland workers develop the skills they need to secure real jobs and build successful careers,” Ms Shing said.

“It is another great example of the work we’re doing to develop innovative, cutting-edge training solutions to meet the needs of students and industry as they adapt in a constantly changing economy.”

The upgraded equipment will be used by students studying Certificate III in Harvesting and Haulage where there is an industry-led demand for specific skills in the forestry sector.

The updated training to be offered in this course has been devised in close consultation with industry so students get the skills they need to be job ready the moment they leave Federation Training.

The state-of-the-art equipment includes an excavator base and a tracked harvester training simulator.

Alongside quality training, these high-quality learning materials will produce world class logging plant operators, log truck drivers, front-end loader operators, bulldozer operators and harvesting technicians.

The Regional Specialist Training Fund is part of the Labor Government’s Skills First initiative, which is ensuring students receive high quality training that delivers the workforce skills employers need.

The fund is supporting Victorian TAFEs and training providers to work in partnership with industry to develop innovative new training programs, products and projects that harness the very latest technologies and approaches.