South Metropolitan TAFE

South Metropolitan TAFE

Former names	Challenger Institute of Technology Challenger TAFE South Metropolitan College of TAFE South Metropolitan Technical College Polytechnic West
Type	Technical and further education
Established	1898
Director	Ms Terry Durant (Managing Director)
Location	Fremantle , W.A. , Australia
Campus	Fremantle, Bentley, Jandakot, Murdoch, Kwinana, Munster, Rockingham, Thornlie, Mandurah.
Website	www.southmetrotafe.wa.edu.au

South Metropolitan TAFE (formerly known as Challenger Institute of Technology or Challenger TAFE) is a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institution based in Fremantle, Western Australia.

A registered training organisation (RTO Code: 52787) delivering more than 350 nationally accredited courses, catering to a wide variety of industry training areas for full-time, part-time, workplace based and online study. The organisation also offers customised training, apprenticeships and traineeships. South Metropolitan TAFE services both urban and regional communities and sees over 23,000 students each year. About 1,000 international students are enrolled at the College, which has additional offshore training facilities and programs in eight countries; Mauritius, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, India, China, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Admissions for full-time Vocational Education and Training (VET) award courses are coordinated through the TAFE Admissions Centre.

On 11 April 2016, Challenger Institute of Technology was merged with Polytechnic West, and became South Metropolitan TAFE.^[1]

Industry training areas[]

South Metropolitan TAFE's training is provided through campuses across a number of South Metropolitan locations. These include:

• Applied Engineering (incorporating the Australian Centre for Energy and Process Training (ACEPT))
• Maritime^[2]
• Automotive
• Building and Construction
• Community Services
• Creative Industries
• Health, Fitness and Lifestyle
• Business and Information Technology
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Foundation and English Studies
• Science and the Environment

Courses[]

South Metropolitan TAFE award courses adhere to the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF). The AQTF establishes standard titles and levels for courses across Australia. The qualifications that are currently offered at South Metropolitan TAFE include:

• Advanced Diploma
• Diploma
• Certificate IV
• Certificate III
• Certificate II
• Certificate I

Through its university pathway arrangements with WA universities, including Curtin University and Murdoch University, students can also gain access into tertiary education. South Metropolitan TAFE also offers short courses, skill sets and customised training for business.^{[citation needed]}

Campuses and Access Centres[]

South Metropolitan TAFE has campuses in Armadale, Bentley, Carlisle, Fremantle, Murdoch, Jandakot, Kwinana, Naval Base, Munster, Thornlie, Rockingham and Mandurah.

As well as its south metropolitan campuses, additional Access Centres are located in the regional towns of Pinjarra, Boddington, Waroona and Mundijong.

History[]

South Metropolitan TAFE can lay claim to being the oldest technical educational institution in Western Australia, tracing its roots to the late 19th Century.

Prior to 1900, technical education in WA was sporadic and mostly supported through Mechanics and Miners Institutes. However, Challenger's technical education record in Fremantle can trace its beginnings to 1898 when evening classes were conducted at Fremantle Boys School. These took place in the FTI building in Adelaide Terrace. Challenger Institute's subsequent incarnation was as the Fremantle Technical School. The inaugural class of 1900 comprised 116 male students taking evening classes in the South Terrace building that is still used today as a campus and administrative office.

Some name changes followed in subsequent decades, with the organisation operating at various times as South Metropolitan Technical College, South Metropolitan College of TAFE and Challenger TAFE.

The formation in 2009 of a new West Australian training department resulted in the launch of a state government training blueprint, Training WA. Integral to this report was the call for public training organisations to become more autonomous, with the government giving TAFE colleges greater scope for flexibility and innovation in an increasingly competitive training market.^{[citation needed]}

The name Challenger Institute of Technology was formally adopted on 15 December 2009. In April 2016, South Metropolitan TAFE was established as the successor.^[1]

References[]