Deakin and GOTAFE bring Associate Degree to Wangaratta

Deakin University and Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE (GOTAFE) signed an agreement on Monday 2 August to bring the Deakin at Your Doorstep program to Wangaratta in 2011, enabling local residents to study an Associate Degree of Arts, Business and Sciences at GOTAFE's Wangaratta Campus.

Deakin's Pro Vice-Chancellor (Rural and Regional), Professor Sue Kilpatrick, said the program would provide increased education options for people in the Wangaratta region.

"The Associate Degree is an exciting opportunity to provide people with the skills they need to succeed at university. It gives people the option to learn where they live and is the ideal pathway to a bachelor degree," Professor Kilpatrick said.

"The Associate Degree also gives people already in the workforce a pathway to advance their workplace skills and provides work relevant subjects."

CEO of GOTAFE, Mr Paul Culpan, said: "Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE is committed to working in partnership with universities such as Deakin to increase access to higher education for regional and remote students.

"There is a strong alignment between GOTAFE and Deakin in sharing a vision to provide quality educational options that will meet the specific learning needs of regional students and industry.

"Deakin is very experienced in working with the TAFE sector to provide pathways to university for TAFE graduates, and we are very excited for Deakin to extend its partnership arrangements to GOTAFE for students in Wangaratta and surrounding areas to have access to higher levels of education and qualifications."

The Associate Degree of Arts, Business and Sciences is a two-year full-time (or equivalent part-time) qualification. It can provide a pathway to a range of bachelor degrees at Deakin or can be studied as a stand-alone qualification.

Students studying the Associate Degree at GOTAFE will also study a relevant Diploma course concurrently.

The two education providers believe the program will benefit the region through improving career opportunities for local residents, including in the areas of community services and land management.

To find out more about the Associate Degree of Arts, Business and Sciences visit www.deakin.edu.au/doorstep or call 1300 DEGREE.