Ground broken at landmark TAFE centre

CONSTRUCTION has officially started at The Gordon TAFE’s $36 million Centre of Excellence in Disability Inclusion, with the facility the first of its kind in Victoria.

Located at The Gordon’s City Campus, the centre is expected to open in 2027 and will drive improvement, innovation and system-wide change in disability inclusion across the TAFE sector.

Several buildings will be revitalised as part of the project, creating a contemporary, inclusive hub for student support, teaching and sector collaboration.

The centre’s design is being led by Architectus, working closely with The Gordon and the centre’s Co-Creation Team to bring a shared vision for inclusive learning to life.

Guided by lived experience, the design prioritises clear wayfinding and intuitive navigation, spaces to pause and recharge, and calm, welcoming interiors with strong connections to landscaped outdoor areas.

The centre will feature best-practice inclusive learning environments supporting a range of courses, alongside a student services hub, meeting rooms, a cafeteria and student lounge and a sensory-landscaped courtyard.

An industry collaboration space will also showcase inclusive design in practice, supporting knowledge sharing and capability building across the TAFE sector.

Participants have described the work as “trailblazing”, with the potential to influence policy, design and practice across the state.

“Working with the teachers at The Gordon has been an incredibly healing experience and has allowed

me to find my purpose again,” Co-Creation Team member and former Building Design student Alicia Martin said.

“Being involved with the Centre of Excellence has shown me that despite my limitations, I can turn up as myself and be valued. I now look forward to my future with hope and optimism – something I never thought possible.”

Victorian Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney joined The Gordon chief executive officer Joe Ormeno, main works contractor Kane Constructions, and community representatives at The Gordon’s City Campus for a sod-turning ceremony to formally mark the start of works.Ormeno said he was thrilled to be breaking ground on the project, as it was a defining moment for both The Gordon and vocational education more broadly.

“We are building a place where inclusion is not an add-on, but a foundation,” he said.

“By centring the lived experience of people with disability at every stage of design and delivery, we are setting a new benchmark for how TAFE can support learners with disability to learn, belong and succeed.”

“As a Victorian TAFE Network Centre of Excellence, The Gordon will work alongside TAFEs across the state to share what works, build capability and drive lasting change across the system.”

Tierney said the centre would support people with disability to get access to real skills and employment opportunities.