HOSPITALITY has taken a beating this past year and many in the industry across the region have lost staff as a result.
In Shepparton, we have GOTAFE providing people looking for a hospitality vocation with the resources to get into the industry with qualification.
A new $1.4 million paddock-to-plate café and restaurant funded by the State Government will give Shepparton students real-life training and help the region become a destination for Victorian foodies.
Minister for Training and Skills, Gayle Tierney, officially opened Common Ground Café and Restaurant at GOTAFE Shepparton and met with local TAFE students to taste some of their culinary creations.
“It’s exciting to see the improved hospitality facilities at GOTAFE – but more importantly how our investment in high quality and industry-based training is changing lives in Shepparton,” said Ms Tierney.
This new facility includes an operational café that is open to the public and includes classrooms and multi- functional spaces that will support learning opportunities for barista, hospitality and cookery students.
Common Ground will help reinvigorate the Fryers Street campus with its must-eat menu of sustainable foods that also showcase the talents of students in other departments, including agriculture and baking. The new facility is the first stage of the $2.4 million
GOTAFE upgrade and will be followed by the opening of a $1 million commercial kitchen later this year, creating the Shepparton Commercial Kitchen and Learning Hub. It will eventually cater to 735 students annually and will ensure highly skilled graduates have a direct pathway to the workforce.
