Gold Coast Institute of TAFE

'GCIT, Gold Coast Institute of TAFE' (GCIT) is a vocational college in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, Australia, with five campuses in Southport and Coomera, and one each in Ashmore and Coolangatta. It is a government-owned Technical and Further Education institute, part of TAFE Queensland catering to the domestic and international markets with a wide range of academic programs at the Certificate and Diploma levels.

GCIT has partnerships with many universities offering articulation arrangements for students of GCIT, Gold Coast Institute of TAFE which recognise of GCIT's qualifications to provide credit and exemptions towards Bachelor degree programs.

GCIT is one of Australia's leading vocational education and training facilities and the largest in the Gold Coast region with five campuses and enrolments of over 16,000 students annually. As a statutory institute in Queensland's TAFE network, GCIT is a publicly funded training provider and operates with the Queensland Government guidelines of the Department of Education,Training and Employment.

Our programs have been designed in close consultation with business and industry. When our students complete their studies with us, they will have the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure a competitive advantage when entering the workforce or moving onto further education. Whether a student joins GCIT straight from school or after years in the workforce, we will work with them in the pursuit of their goals.

We want people to succeed, and we believe that the skills and knowledge acquired through study and work at GCIT helps people to do just that. We also believe that the contributions we make within our community contribute to the success of our community, and we are justifiably proud of that.

Key learn areas include: Creative Industries & Commerce, Community Services & Health, Children's Services & Education, Tourism, Hospitality & Lifestyle, Trades

History

2011

A New Brand – GCIT Gold Coast Institute of TAFE undertook extensive research with students, staff, community and industry to identify the attributes that would become the new brand – GCIT. The brand promise ‘Learning that works’ reflects GCIT as a connected, inspiring, practical, engaging training provider that will be your partner in learning for life.

A New Campus – Coomera Creative Industries Campus The new multi- million dollar Coomera Creative Industries Campus opened in August 2011 providing students with state of the art equipment for multi-media, IT, live production and building design. The campus has equipment for motion capture, a full working theatre, editing rooms and interactive class room to inspire student creativity.

2010

Infrastructure GCIT received Federal Government funding to update student facilities including additional car parking, a new student outdoor courtyard at the Ashmore campus and new ICT including a student intranet www.gcitconnect.edu.au and digital signage. Planning for future infrastructure also took place and the new Coomera Creative Industries Campus was being developed.

2009 Future Focus The achievement of Statutory Body status now provides the Institute with new options and possibilities previously unexplored. In 2009, a new vision was announced: “to be an internationally renowned provider of outstanding vocational services.” With a newly appointed commercialised Board, the vision is global and a shift in focus to ‘services’ hints at a new era in the Institute’s product mix. The increased rate of change continues to affect customer needs, and providing a valued customer experience will be the linchpin in the Institute’s future success. To ensure the Institute can deliver on its vision, an internal restructure is planned in 2009/10, ensuring a firm platform as the Institute evolves as a leading global service provider into the future.

1997 - 2004 Financial Growth and Commercial Success Strategies to broaden opportunities both domestically and internationally brought a new Institute commitment to higher level qualifications. This was cemented with the opening of its technology campus in Southport (1997), the region’s business centre. As commercial success continued, rewards and recognition followed, such as the acknowledgement as Large Employer of the Year in 1999 and Training Provider of the Year in 2001.

Social responsibility also remained high on the agenda, and in 1997 the Institute developed a youth program catering for young adults who didn’t fi t into traditional learning models. This program went on to win a Public Sector Award for Excellence in 2002 and informed the Government’s state wide agenda for the Youth at Risk candidates. As the Institute’s reputation grew, so too did student numbers with enrolments reaching 15,000. During this period, the Institute recorded significant operating surpluses annually whilst embedding internal efficiencies, and solidifying its culture of commercial focus and success.

Responding to a Rapidly Changing Environment Although the Institute’s market was now solidified at 15,000-17,000 enrolments annually, the impact of the Internet was making its mark on the education sector. Online product was emerging as both a competitor and opportunity. The Institute introduced online content developers to capitalise on this new business potential. Also occurring were various Industry reviews resulting in the State Government and Boston Consulting Group developing a new vision for the sector, culminating in the Queensland Skills Plan in 2005. This included a crucial strategy of providing increased delegations to Institutes via Statutory Authority status, ensuring increased flexibility and responsiveness in the marketplace and to industry. The Institute immediately began preparations for this exciting opportunity to increase its autonomy, heighten its commercialisation and broaden its scope across markets and borders. International markets were now highly attractive to all education providers and commercial competition reached new levels. In the face of this, the Institute continued to succeed and international enrolments were over 1,000 per annum. However no longer content to contest only inbound international markets, the Institute added offshore delivery to its strategic priorities in international business. This period closed with the addition of a fifth campus to the Institute’s locations, a specialised Marine facility at Coomera.

1968 – 1996 From Small Beginnings Gold Coast Institute of TAFE was first formed in 1968 as an annex of Southport State High School. With a modest student cohort of 269 at inception, delivery was regional and trade focused. New Government policy in 1976 brought opportunities in the provision of community hobby training. The Institute became the first College of Technical and Further Education in Queensland, with enrolments at 6,200.

The Institute leveraged this status to expand its regional footprint, adding new campuses in Ridgeway Avenue (1976), Ashmore (1982) and Coolangatta (1987). This period also saw the commencement of Diploma offerings and a continued broadening of the Institute’s training services. Seeking more autonomous and commercial operations, in 1989 the Institute created its first Institute Community Council. Representatives from industry and local business were now closely informing plans and initiatives. This period identified a key opportunity for training international students. Leveraging the international profile of the Gold Coast created growth to 140 enrolments in 1995, and ensured a leading edge on other training organisations in this developing business.

The commercial success with this new business channel saw the Institute perfectly positioned as the national agenda shifted, and Government funding moved to an open model of contestability for providers. It was as the Institute began to successfully compete in an open market that it truly began to realise its commercialisation potential, and the organisation’s mercantile culture of today began.