OUT WITH THE OLD – Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, left, looking over plans for the new TAFE Digital Headquarters yesterday with site foreman Tony Lulman, left, and newly recruited executives, Head of Digital Learning Lab Greg Higgins, Head of Product Management Deepa Salklan and Head of Digital Design Adam DeMooy.
Thursday, 26 October 2017
CONSTRUCTION work has commenced this week on TAFE NSW’s new Digital Headquarters in Armidale, along with the successful of key managerial positions to lead the tech transformation, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall announced today.
Mr Marshall, who is also the Minister responsible for TAFE NSW, toured the worksite yesterday at the Armidale TAFE Campus. He welcomed the start of the main construction and said the benefits of the TAFE Digital Headquarters were already being felt across the region.
“There’s been a lot of work going on to establish the headquarters here in Armidale, but now is the first time the community will have seen tangible progress,” Mr Marshall said. “This is a very exciting and welcome milestone for TAFE, Armidale and NSW.
“Eight new positions have already been recruited to the TAFE Digital team in Armidale, including three senior managers, and the scene is being set for the new TAFE Digital building.
“All of these staff have moved from outside the region to the new EduTech hub we are creating here in Armidale, alongside our partners Evocities and Armidale Regional Council.
“We’ve also seen more than 100 fly in visitors to the region in TAFE Digital’s first six months of operations and interest from board level representatives of industry to come to Armidale and partner with TAFE NSW to produce online learning materials.
“This week TAFE NSW will be recruiting for people in the areas of emerging technology and innovation, all of which will be based in Armidale.
“Over the next four months there will be 40 new jobs at the Armidale’s TAFE Digital Headquarters, working with other digitally enabled employees right across the State.”
Construction of the TAFE NSW Digital Lab commenced recently, with internal demolition works starting ahead of the Lab’s official opening in December. This week construction on the main building began.
“Following the careful deconstruction of an existing building over the next couple of weeks, an additional 10 metre concrete platform will provide more space to house the new staff, tech labs and virtual reality rooms,” Mr Marshall said.
The latest round of recruitment for TAFE Digital will be completed by December this year with further recruitment expected to take place early in the New Year, ahead of its official opening in March 2018.
“It’s an exciting time for the city and the entire region with this and so many other projects ‘on the go’ and plenty more in the pipeline,” Mr Marshall said.
“It highlights the exciting new direction TAFE NSW will be taking – offering an expanded variety of digital-focused courses that make the most of changing technologies, and equip our workforce for the challenges of the 21st century.
“In a capital city, this new TAFE NSW Digital Headquarters and the 40-odd jobs would be swallowed up. In Armidale, they and their families will provide a terrific economic boost to local business, swell numbers in our schools, and boost the capacity of community groups.
“Every house and business in Armidale is connected to the information highway by NBN’s high-speed fibre-optic cable.
“The city has arguably the best digital infrastructure of any urban centre in the country and this new headquarters helps build on that and show that not everything has to be in Sydney.
“I cannot wait to see the headquarters fully operational in Armidale and benefits begin to flow.”
About TAFE Digital
• TAFE Digital is a key part of the NSW Government’s modernisation of TAFE NSW. It will expand the organisation’s presence across the State as well as bringing more jobs to rural and regional NSW.
• Skills Minister John Barilaro announced Armidale as the location for the new HQ in November 2016, following a competitive bid process, which included Wagga Wagga, Bathurst, Coffs Harbour and Tamworth.
• TAFE Digital will introduce the latest digital course content, innovative teaching approaches and reality simulation technology to recreate real-life working environments to enhance the learning experience at Australia’s largest education and training provider.
• Importantly, TAFE Digital will reduce the current duplication of effort in course development and online learning throughout the State.
• TAFE Digital is working closely with Armidale Regional Council and Evocities to promote Armidale as an EduTech hub and place to relocate.