Мельбурн Политехникасы: Білім беру мекемесінің тарихы мен құрылымы

Institute of higher education and vocational education in Melbourne, Australia

In October 2014, the institute was renamed to Melbourne Polytechnic, aided by a $19 million grant from the Victorian Government. A wide selection of study options in vocational education are offered from short courses, pre apprenticeships, apprenticeships, and traineeships through to certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, and onto higher education, tertiary degrees under the Australian Qualifications Framework. In 2013, there were 511 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) teaching staff and 348.5 (FTE) support staff employed by Melbourne Polytechnic delivering over 500 courses.

Melbourne Polytechnic is managed by a board of eleven directors appointed by the Victorian State Government with the Chief Executive appointed by the board. Recent Chief Executives (CE) appointments have included Brian MacDonald (1988 – March 2012), Dr Andrew Giddy (March 2012 to March 2014), and Rob Wood (from May 2015 – September 2017). On 20 October 2017, Frances Coppolillo was appointed as Chief Executive. Currently, the CE has six direct reports comprising Academic Operations; Curriculum Innovation and Teaching Excellence; Student Engagement, International and Community Partnerships; Strategy, Performance and Governance; People and Corporate Services; and Infrastructure, Sustainability and Precincts.

Short vocational courses are offered in a variety of areas including: Beauty, Drafting, Multimedia, Hospitality, HR, IT, massage, Office Administration, Welding, Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP). Courses in IELTS – International English Language Testing system – are run from Preston and Collingwood campuses to enhance the English skills of students from non English speaking backgrounds, particularly international students.

As a major vocational education provider in Melbourne Melbourne Polytechnic offers Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma Courses across all Faculties and teaching departments with many of the courses open for international students to enrol.

Melbourne Polytechnic has two official test centres. IELTS (International English Language Testing System) for IELTS General and IELTS Academic English proficiency tests at the Preston campus, with offsite some offsite testing
Pearson VUE – offering tests in PTE Academic, CPA, CCNA, ICND1, ICND2, MSCE Other tests are offered from time to time.

At the yearly graduation ceremony graduates (Diploma and above) are presented their qualification in academic dress. The Melbourne Polytechnic board approved the following colours to represent the different fields of study (colour samples are approximate): Students graduated in 2009 from NMIT programs at the following partner universities and colleges: Dalian Jiaotong University, Hangzhou Vocational and Technology College, Insurance Professional College, IEN Start Institute Minjiang University, Jiyuan Vocational College, Luoyang University, Nanchang Hangkong University, Ocean University of China, Shandong Economic University, Sichuan College of Architectural Technology, Suzhou Vocational College, Taiyuan University of Technology, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Yunnan Institute of Information Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhongshan College, Huainan Normal University, Hong Kong Universal Education, Ansan College of Technology, Changshin College, Kunjang College, Suncheon Cheongam College, Saekyung College. In 2014, 2,617 students graduated from offshore partner institutes in China, Hong Kong and Korea. In 2015, offshore graduates numbered 2,293.

The direct antecedents of Melbourne Polytechnic are Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, and further back in time Preston College of TAFE and Collingwood College of TAFE which amalgamated in 1988. The new organisation was called Northern Metropolitan College of TAFE. Initial campuses were at Preston, Collingwood and Parkville with the Institute developing new campuses at Heidelberg, Greensborough and Epping. Other organisations have sometimes taken the NMIT acronym to mean Northern Metropolitan Institute of Technology, however this has never been an official title. The Epping Campus was developed and built in 1992. At the time the Institute were planning delivery of part time, night time horticulture programs. The Victorian Government, as part of a policy direction, stipulated courses needed to be also delivered in agriculture. From that point NMIT developed the resources to become the pre eminent agricultural training
organisation in Victoria by 2005. The first Higher Education graduates from NMIT Bachelor's degree programs were awarded their bachelor's degrees in Applied Aquaculture, Viticulture and Winemaking and Equine Studies at the 2009 NMIT Graduation Ceremony. In the wake of the shakeup in Government funding to TAFE Victoria in 2012, NMIT is negotiating sale of its Greensborough campus and purchase of Swinburne University's Prahran campus in 2013. In the agreement signed with Swinburne University on 2 August 2013, NMIT will develop the campus as a precinct for creative arts. NMIT plans an initial 60 courses to be run from the campus from 2014. The National Institute of Circus Arts and Gymnastics Australia will remain as tenants on the site. With the continued delivery of a range of Associate and bachelor's degree programs to complement its vocational education courses, NMIT indicated in 2013 that it is moving toward Polytechnic University status. In August 2013 NMIT and La Trobe University announced the establishment of Melbourne Polytechnic based at Prahan Campus.

The antecedents of Melbourne Polytechnic date back to a trade skills crisis in Victoria in the initial years of the twentieth century resulting in the passing of the 1910 Education Act No 2301 in the Victorian Parliament. This act allowed the establishment of technical schools. Collingwood Technical School was established in July 1912 at 35 Johnston street. The bluestone buildings were originally built during the gold rush period in 1853 as the Collingwood Town Hall and Court House. Initial subjects studied included preliminary carpentry and pattern making, plumbing, engineering, sheet iron work and bricklaying with students studying 2 hours per night, 3 nights a week. Juniors enrolled at the start of 1913, and the school was classified as a trades school by the Victorian Education Department, offering courses in carpentry, fitting and turning, plumbing, bricklaying and plastering. Two years later electrical wiring and electrical and mechanical engineering were introduced. During the First World War the school was also used for retraining returning servicemen. In 1935, the junior school was the largest technical school in Melbourne with 788 enrolments, and with a total enrolment of 1769, but the establishment of Preston Technical School in 1937 reduced subsequent demand. The school was renamed Collingwood Technical College in 1968. To address a shortage of skilled gardeners, the college started its horticultural studies program at Parkville in 1979, with an initial 96 apprentices enrolled. The following year, 1980, the new nine story Otter Street Campus building was completed. The school had 8000 full time and part time students enrolled in TAFE courses at Collingwood. The Minister of Education announced the closure of the school at the end of 1987 citing falling enrolments from 800 in 1963 to 200 in 1985, to 100 in 1987.