Warrnambool | A City for Living

Goal: 5
People

Warrnambool is a learning community

Warrnambool’s people value and encourage learning at all ages and stages of life. The city has local learning opportunities available to increase knowledge, provide qualifications, increase workforce capacity, grow skills, enable re-skilling and strengthen local resilience.

2040 Outcome

There are strong links between local business and industry and learning institutions of all types.

University and TAFE courses available in the city attract students from within and outside Warrnambool and offer recognised qualifications and training OUTCOMESs which meet the needs of the region’s industries.

Warrnambool’s rate of school completion (Year 12 or equivalent) is the highest in regional Victoria.

All children are developmentally on track in all five domains of the Australian Early Years Census.

All children attend early years’ education and kindergarten before starting school. Lifelong learning opportunities are accessible to all residents

The changes we want by 2026

  • The proportion of people over 15 years who have completed Year 12 or equivalent has increased (41%, 2016)
  • The proportion of people over 15 years who have a post school qualification has increased (56.7%, 2016)
  • The proportion of children who are developmentally on track in the Australian Early Years Census has increased (81.7%, 2015)
  • The proportion of young people 15-19 years who are engaged in full time education and/or work has increased (77.1%, 2016)
  • The proportion of people over the age of 25 years who are currently enrolled to study has doubled (3.4%, 2016)
  • W2040 PARTNERS support local learning by offering mentoring, internships and work placements for local students.
  • Warrnambool has a new, 21st century library and knowledge hub (LINK) which provides opportunities for lifelong learning, equitable access to information, resources and technology.
  • South West TAFE’s Tech (technology) School is operational.
  • Deakin University’s Warrnambool Campus has significantly increased enrolments and has increased investment in research and industry partnerships.

Short Term Initiatives

  • Support local programs which improve outcomes for young people- e.g. local career, work placement and experience opportunities, and program like Standing Tall, A Big Life and Future Leaders of Industry, etc.
  • Advocate for funding for the new shared library and the ‘Tech’ (technology) school at SW TAFE
  • Support the goals of the Beyond the Bell initiative.
  • Partners will work with local educational institutions to offer mentoring and increased workplace opportunities for our young people (more work experience placements, internships, project and graduate positions, etc)
  • Support and/or deliver programs which encourage and better educational outcomes (eg family capacity building, homework clubs, tutoring, mentoring, arts education, etc).
  • Encourage staff to volunteer for programs that support young people’s educational attainment outcomes and aspiration.
  • Council, with partners, will develop and implement a Municipal Early Years Plan.