New Computer Networking Course at Box Hill TAFE

The Minister for Information Technology and Multimedia, Alan Stockdale, cuts the ribbon to open the new course.

Students of Box Hill TAFE will be the first in Australia to benefit from a new training course in computer networking.

The Networking Academies Program, developed by US-based computer firm Cisco Systems, will be run as a Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) subject and part of a diploma and certificate course at Box Hill Institute of TAFE in 1999.

Box Hill Institute will also be the National Cisco Academy Training Centre, giving it accreditation to train teachers for other academies.

Successful completion of the course will allow young people to move directly from high school into a high growth industry with massive job opportunities. IT is a major growth area which has attracted $2 billion in investment and led to the creation of 10,000 jobs in the past four years.

Mr Stockdale said skills development was a major element of the Victorian Government's Victoria 21 Multimedia strategy, which is aimed at building a basis for Victoria's future prosperity and job creation.

Cisco Systems Australia will spend $500,000 implementing the new program in Victoria which will also give students at Box Hill Institute of TAFE access to Cisco's state-of-the-art technology.

The launch of the Box Hill networking academy follows the successful implementation of a pilot program by Cisco at Bendigo Senior Secondary College.   The pilot has been operating for the past two semesters and involves 80 students.

Mr Stockdale said Box Hill Institute TAFE had developed a reputation for academic excellence and would provide a great framework for the new program.

Cisco Systems is one of the world's 40 largest companies with an annual turnover of more than US$8 Billion.

(News Release, Office of the Minister for Information Technology and Multimedia, December 1, 1998)