Regional Community Health Hub at Deakin University Geelong

Thu 31 March 2011

The Victorian Government will commit $7 million towards a new Regional Community Health Hub at Deakin University’s Geelong campus through the Regional Growth Fund.

The Health Hub is expected to accommodate 1500 new students, 172 new staff and inject $140 million a year into the regional economy by 2017. The development is also expected to create a further 850 indirect jobs.

The facility will not only build on the area’s existing education and research potential, it will also deliver practical health and educational benefits which will reward the greater Geelong region for years to come.  It will introduce new teaching programs in clinical optometry, clinical pharmacy and exercise and sports science. In addition to these new projects a new community-based program will be offered to indigenous students, and a new e-learning service – Deakin Health online – will be introduced.

Deakin Health online will link health professionals, practitioners, and educational institutions for the clinical training of health professionals

As Victoria moves to a knowledge-driven, innovative economy, the state would increasingly need a workforce with higher levels of qualifications and skills. Victoria’s tertiary education system stands out among many other regions and is a key driver of the state’s economic development.

Victoria is justifiably proud of its reputation for higher education, and the government is looking to increase the number of students obtaining tertiary qualifications in Victoria to help drive economic development.

Skilled young people play an important role in the long term prosperity and social environment of regional Victoria, and improving access to higher education opportunities in Victoria will assist in raising the proportion of skilled people in these areas.