Annual Report
2024

As Board Chair of Bendigo Kangan Institute, I am pleased to present our 2024 Annual Report, marking a significant milestone in our journey of growth and transformation.

This year saw the successful conclusion of our 2020>2025 Strategic Plan, which has guided us through unprecedented challenges and opportunities.

Our staff and students continued to excel in 2024 on national and international stages. We celebrated success at the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics’ Awards of Excellence, Auscontact Excellence Awards, AUS-TAFE Culinary Trophy competition, Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association Expo, Victorian Baking Trade Show and Master Builders Association of Victoria Bendigo.

Additionally, we are proud of the individual achievements of former Board Chair Margaret O’Rourke and our educator Geraldine Anderson who received Medals of the Order of the Australia acknowledging their commitment to community and vocational education.

We made significant progress on our major capital works projects along Victoria’s northern growth corridor, ensuring we continue to meet the evolving needs of our communities and industries in these rapidly expanding communities. We completed construction of our $60 million Victorian Government funded Health and Community Centre of Excellence in Broadmeadows, with classes commencing in 2025.

In Sunbury, the location of our new campus was announced and courses were introduced at the Hume Global Learning Centre to ensure locals had access to in-demand skills while we build the campus. We continued to advance our Hume Tech School, Melton Campus and the Castlemaine Community Health and Learning Hub alongside Dhelkaya Health, from facility design right through to new industry, community and educational ties.

We worked towards developing our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2024-2026, deepening our commitment to First Nations peoples and the significant role education plays in fostering reconciliation and empowering communities. Our efforts in this area were recognised at the Victorian Training Awards and the Wurreker Awards, affirming our progress in creating inclusive and culturally responsive learning environments.

After five years of intensive transformation, we ended the year with a positive EBITDA* result of $7.1 million (excluding capital contributions), which you can read more about on page 35. We have a challenge ahead to scale our delivery to operate new facilities in new communities in a fluctuating economic environment. Increasing costs and rapidly evolving skill demands will place pressure on our financial sustainability as we continue to operate in a complex, highly challenging educational and economical environment.

Looking ahead, the Board has developed our 2030 Strategic Plan, focusing on growth for impact as an integrated skills provider. This forward-thinking plan builds on our achievements and sets an ambitious course for the coming years, emphasising innovation, industry partnerships, and responsive education and skills delivery. We’ve identified key areas for growth to deliver high-demand and emerging skills. To achieve this, we’ll invest in our people and communities, modern facilities, leading‑edge technology, innovative learning methods and diverse skilling opportunities.

Our plan aligns with Victorian Government and TAFE priorities, with environmental sustainability, housing, care and digital innovation at the forefront. I acknowledge our dynamic leaders and passionate staff, as well as the Victorian Government, partners and stakeholders whom we’ve engaged with to develop our strategic plan, one that will guide our journey to setting new benchmarks in skills and vocational education. It is through our successful relationships and collaborations with industry, educators, government and community that we can have meaningful, positive impact.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our outgoing Board Chair, Margaret O’Rourke OAM, whose leadership has been instrumental in guiding Bendigo Kangan Institute through a period of significant change and achievement.

Margaret’s vision and dedication have left an indelible mark on our organisation. I also welcome our new Board member Craig Niemann; his insights and experience across Victoria’s north west will be invaluable during this pivotal time for our organisation.

Our success is a testament to the collective efforts of many. I extend my sincere thanks to all our Board members and CEO Sally Curtain whose strategic acumen and operational expertise have been crucial in realising our goals. To our executive team and staff – your unwavering commitment and hard work have been the driving force behind our accomplishments.

We are a modern, agile organisation, delivering future-ready skills, training and assessment solutions, as well as lifelong learning opportunities. As we embark on our new strategic journey, I am confident that Bendigo Kangan Institute is wellpositioned to continue its vital role in shaping the skills landscape of our state. We remain dedicated to empowering learners, supporting industries, and delivering a job-ready workforce that is ready to drive a new future in Victoria and beyond.

*EBITDA refers to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation and excludes other economic flows (OEF).

2024 has been filled with purpose and activity, marked by significant achievements and strategic advancements at Bendigo Kangan Institute.

As we navigated the final stages of our 2020>2025 Strategic Plan, we’re reminded of how far we’ve come, the transformation we’ve undergone, the challenges we’ve overcome, and our continued focus on adapting, innovating, and expanding our offerings.

This year we solidified our four-year foundation. Our persistence to improve every part of our organisation, from capabilities to processes, has led to impressive outcomes. But it’s not just about results; it’s about the lives we touch, the pathways we create, and the futures we shape.

We’ve worked hard to strengthen our connections with students, customers, industries, and communities and evolve to meet their needs, positioning Bendigo Kangan Institute as a leading integrated skills provider, with a state, national and international reach.

In 2024 we trained close to 37,000 students, a diverse and vibrant group of students including strong numbers of FREE TAFE students and became Victoria’s largest apprenticeship and traineeship provider through new partnerships.

We completed more than 62,000 skills assessments and hosted our first Allyship conference for skilled migration experts, reinforcing our role in supporting Australia’s skilled migration.

This year we became the largest provider of corrections education in the state, through an intensive and competitive process. I’m immensely proud of this work which creates education opportunities for those in the justice system, helping to reduce recidivism.

Meanwhile, we’ve been on a mission to push the boundaries of education and training, making skills and training more accessible, relevant and impactful.

Our innovative new Health and Community Centre of Excellence in Broadmeadows, was completed on time and on budget, thanks to a $60 million investment from the Victorian Government. We will offer the most in demand health and community courses, the latest technology, the best teachers and industry partners with unparalleled practical environments so students can maximise their learning.

Inclusivity has been at the heart of what we do this year, too. We launched a regional-first female and gender-diverse construction course in Castlemaine—offering opportunities to women in a sector that has long been underrepresented. By forging partnerships with SheForce and the Level Crossing Removal Project, we provided women the training and the confidence they need to shape the future of Victoria’s infrastructure. Our efforts to encourage inclusivity progressed through a new partnership with Spectrum Migrant Resources Centre which aims to improve training and employment opportunities for migrants and refugees.

To be at the forefront of digital innovation, we developed new digital micro-credentials and expanded our industry-aligned courseware to give the right skills to students and customers when they need them.

We’re developing future campuses in Castlemaine, Melton and Sunbury which are on track to become leading training hubs for care, construction and trades, clean economy and digital skills in growing communities.

Student and customer experience remains at the heart of what we do. Nearly 3,000 or 17% of our students have benefitted from our support services in 2024 and student satisfaction has risen to 80%, surpassing the state network average. Our new education model, placing learners at the centre, and the appointment of inspiring student ambassadors are key to this progress.

Our ambitions grew in 2024 guided by a clear focus on meeting government’s skills priorities and responding to the ambitions of the University Accord. We were honoured to be announced as one of three vocational institutions selected for the Australian Skills Quality Authority’s selfaccreditation pilot. We’re developing an Advanced Diploma of Digital Innovation through this pilot to help meet Australia’s growing need for tech talent.

We’ve also committed to environmental sustainability goals. Aligned with both state and national objectives, we’re planning to be net-zero by 2045. With our expertise in electric vehicle training, we’ve partnered with the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union to offer an innovative course on battery electric bus safety. Lastly, we are leading an Australian-first to develop training packages for hydrogen vehicles.

Thanks to a $1.182 million investment from the Commonwealth Government, we are proud to lead development of an aspirational masterplan for Bendigo East Urban Renewal Precinct, making us reliable and progressive partners with government, industry and community.

We’re committed to digital empowerment across our organisation and this year we brought together a world class panel of experts to form our inaugural Digital Advisory Committee, ensuring we are not just keeping with change, but leading it too.

As we look back on the year, we’re proud to see both employer satisfaction with our training (72.7%) and the improvement in job-specific skills (74.8%) rise from 2023. These are the true markers of success—the real impact of our work.

Over the past 12 months we’ve built bridges globally, engaging with countries like India, France, China, and Cambodia that reflect our shared commitment to progress. Leveraging our mode for success with India, we signed agreements with Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training and RMA Group to drive excellence in automotive vocational training—empowering the future of young workers in the region.

We’ve worked closely with federal and state government leaders to shape policies that support skills and migration, joining the Premier of Victoria, the Hon Jacinta Allan MP in a higher education delegation to India.

Internally we invested in our people, enhancing our culture and employee experience. With 92% of staff saying they achieve something important through work, we’re proud of the engaged workforce we’ve built. In 2024 we held our inaugural leadership and all-staff conferences, implemented our Respect and Equality Action Plan, received recognition by the Mental Health First Aid Australia and WorkSafe Victoria Awards for our mental health commitment to staff.

As we look to the future, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Board Chair, Sharan Burrow AC, and thank outgoing Chair, Margaret O’Rourke OAM, for her remarkable leadership. We have big ambitions for the future and with the support of the Board, Bendigo Kangan Institute has developed its 2030 Strategic Plan. Central to the strategy is the idea of growth for impact. This is about how we build on strong foundation of the past five years to scale our organisation, and ensure that growth leads to meaningful, sustainable influence on the lives of all our people, industries, sectors, communities.

I am optimistic about the opportunities ahead and energised by our capable and dedicated team, innovative programs and strong partnerships that will prepare us for the future.