A new nursing, aged care and disability training area at TasTAFE’s Clarence campus will provide students with the latest facilities modelled on real hospital wards and aged care facilities.

The $1.4 million redevelopment will see an entire block of the campus transformed into a health training hub.

This week, Minister for Education and Training, Jeremy Rockliff (pictured with Head of Discipline - Nursing, Jonette Scott, and TasTAFE CEO, Jenny Dodd) toured the construction site of the hub.

It will include workplace simulation rooms designed to resemble real hospital wards and aged care facilities, along with classrooms, stores and administration areas.

Training spaces have been modelled to align with the latest industry standards and provide students with a real-life learning experience.

It means TasTAFE students will be learning in facilities which are as close as possible to what they will come across on their work placements) and when they are out in the workplace.

The new space has been designed by Tasmanian based companies, Loop Architecture, and construction by Fairbrother. Both contractors were appointed following an open tender process.

Work on the project began in January and is expected to be completed in mid-2020. The new facilities replace the existing health, aged and disability training area at the campus which will be refurbished into classrooms for other TasTAFE qualifications.

A redevelopment is also underway to create new nursing, aged care and disability training facilities at Alanvale Campus in Launceston.  Facilities at TasTAFE’s Devonport Campus were upgraded in 2017.

These redevelopments mean that when TasTAFE is able to deliver on-campus again, nursing, aged care and disability students will be able to enjoy state of the art training facilities and have a similar experience regardless of where they undertake their TasTAFE training.