Bendigo TAFE, a provider of vocational education, training and assessment services, has begun construction on its Health and Community Centre of Excellence, which aims to address the growing need for qualified hospital, aged care, home care and community services personnel in the greater Bendigo (Victoria, Australia) region.

With Bendigo’s population forecast to expand by a third by 2031, the growing demand for health and community services in the region is being met by a number of recent key projects including the redevelopment of St John of God Hospital Bendigo. Bendigo TAFE’s Health and Community Centre of Excellence will facilitate vocational career paths for local students in industries where strong demand for talent has been projected.

The $17.7 million project, supported by the Victorian Government, includes simulation labs so that students can experience what it’s like to work in a hospital ward.

Work has now commenced to transform a three-story brick building on campus, replacing the bricks with a contemporary glass façade. The new building design will offer adaptable learning spaces including mobile AV terminals and learning environments with operable walls enabling spaces to be adapted depending on class sizes and changing course needs over time.

The new center has been envisioned since Bendigo TAFE merged with the Kangan Institute in 2014 and is due for completion in early 2018.

ClarkeHopkinsClarke is serving as architect.