Swinburne Online this week launched four new TAFE diplomas nationwide to complement its fully online undergraduate and postgraduate offering.
The Diploma of Business, Diploma of Business Administration and Diploma of Leadership and Management will start in September and the Diploma of Human Resources Management to commence early November.
Swinburne Online CEO Denice Pitt said the diplomas focus on making students employment ready and ensuring they develop practical skills that can be applied in the work place.
“We’re excited to be taking our more than four years’ experience in delivering online education to students wanting to complete TAFE studies.
“We know what students want and need in the online learning environment and have designed a student centric education model that is personalised, accessible and flexible.”
The new diplomas align directly with Swinburne Online’s degree programs and can act as pathways to further study.
Swinburne Online’s new TAFE model has been designed based on best practice in Competency Based Education (CBE) to provide students with an individualised learning journey.
Professor Kay Lipson, Swinburne Online Director of Strategy said enabling students to demonstrate competency and therefore move quickly towards gaining qualification was fundamental to the course design.
“This model acknowledges that people are different, where for some, one skill may take months to learn, for others it could take weeks. Therefore, this is a learner-focused model with methods that allow individuals to study at their own pace,” Professor Lipson said.
Online TAFE students will be able to personalise their learning experience and complete their qualification in a time frame that suit their busy lives. Upon completion, students will receive a Swinburne University of Technology qualification – one of only six dual sector universities in Australia.
Swinburne Online currently serves over 7,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from all over Australia and attracts non-traditional students with their average age being 32.
Ms Pitt said the new offering responds to the diversity of learning needs in the community.
“We believe that further education should cater to all learning needs, not just those looking for a degree, which means providing programs that are flexible and accessible to everyone.
“TAFE qualifications have an important role to play in meeting this need,” Ms Pitt said.