The Gordon and wool are synonymous with the first class in wool sorting offered in 1891. With much of the wool clip sent directly to England, The Gordon's focus soon shifted to wool classing and marketing. By the 1930s, The Gordon's wool school was renowned as the state's wool industry training centre. Early specialist short courses were offered around Victoria to assist wool growers in preparing their clip for market, with modules on sheep breeding and pasture development included in the programs. Textiles are an important focal point for The Gordon. Technological changes that allowed wool to be scientifically measured for its commercial properties led to Diploma courses in Textile Technology and Textile Chemistry being offered in a specialised textile college. Short courses were also offered and regular conferences held. Today, the wool and textile industries remain a vital part of the School Applied Sciences with Certificate and Diploma courses in Textiles, Clothing and Footwear (Fashion) and Agriculture (Wool handling, Sheep and Shearing) being offered.
Fashion has been part of The Gordon curriculum since 1902. Originally a dressmaking course with students going on to work in stores such as Bright and Hitchcock, fashion developed into a three year, full-time Diploma by the early 1960s. In the 1970-80s, clothing industry equipment was introduced to simulate a clothing production factory and now the clothing industry studies courses - such as the Certificate IV in Clothing Production, and the Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Textiles, Clothing and Footwear - are regarded as one of The Gordon's many fields of excellence with generally a 100 per cent employment rate after graduation.
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Wool and Textiles.
The Gordon has a long association with architectural programs. Local architects often taught subjects and former students frequently became instructors. Former student Percy Everett - best known for the Russell Street Police Station and Larundel Hospital - designed The Gordon's Textile College and Wool School (now T-Block). Currently, in the School of Building and Construction an emphasis is placed on delivering premium training in practical programs such as: Building Design and Drafting, Building Surveying and Interior Design and Decorating, as well as traditional apprenticeship courses in Plumbing, Painting and Decorating, and General Construction.
The Gordon's involvement with apprenticeship training stems from its earliest days as a Mechanics Institute with classes held at night to accommodate trade students who worked during the day. By 1948, full daytime trade courses were offered in subjects as varied as Cabinet Making and Motor Mechanics. The latter has been a large part of the Institute's apprenticeship programs since the Ford Motor Company opened in Geelong, with the original Motor Mechanics department part of Trade Engineering. The School of Manufacturing at The Gordon's East Campus delivers highly regarded automotive courses and certificate courses in Motor Mechanics, Panel Beating, Vehicle Painting and Repair, Services and Retail. Electrical and Engineering studies have a long history at The Gordon, now expanding into Mechatronics and Mechanical Design.
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Architecture | Building and Construction
An 1889 class in 'Practical Cookery' was The Gordon's first hospitality course. Nearly 100 years later, the focus was on apprentice chef training for students outside the Melbourne metropolitan area. Facilities were upgraded from a single kitchen with domestic stoves and old laminex benches to modern multiple kitchens and lecture rooms to accommodate increased demand for training. The Davidson Restaurant - The Gordon's original lecture hall - opened in 1978 as a silver service training facility for apprentice chefs, as well as waiting and bar staff. Today, The Gordon has another training restaurant: Cafe on Track, aimed at more casual lunch goers. Hospitality training emphasises service, whether in traditional programs such as Cookery or in its newer management and tourism programs. The Domestic Science department introduced access and health programs via its Dietician and pre-Nursing courses during 1950-60s. The original Mothercraft Nursing course, established in the 1960s, has developed into varied Community Services courses, including Aged Care, Disability Services, Child Care, Youth Work and Nursing. Migrant English courses started in 1982, while current English as a Second Language courses have a substantial international student enrolment. Women's Access and Workplace Skills and Education courses were originally part of the 1980s Community Programs Unit and remain aimed at those wanting to bridge into further study or gain vital workplace skills.
The Gordon offered business subjects from 1888 with students studying typing, shorthand and bookkeeping for just over sixpence per weekly lesson. Accounting was introduced shortly afterwards with The Gordon holding exams to admit graduates into the Incorporated Institute of Accountants. Business courses also expanded to include retail and management training and now include a Certificate III in Small Business Management and a Diploma of Business in Marketing.
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Hospitality | Science | Business
English, now part of Adult VCE, has been part of The Gordon's curriculum from its early days, as have writing subjects. The Gordon offered Victoria's first Vocational Writing course - a Diploma of General Studies - in 1969. Two of the many graduates of Vocational Writing are Channel 10 journalist Vic Caruso and comedian Wendy Harmer. The tradition continues with the Certificate IV and Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing part of the contemporary School of Computing Studies and Arts. The Institute's current computing courses evolved from areas such as Business Studies and Engineering.
The first course, a Diploma of Information Processing, started in 1969 with a Post-Graduate Certificate in Electronic Computation offered shortly after. Both courses had an emphasis on vocational training for the workplace. Current software development courses in Information Technology developed out of the Engineering school with Autocad training commencing in the mid-1980s. Multimedia courses - introduced in the mid-1990s - came from the art department's use of early computer drawing programs. Things have changed since the early days of one computer for the whole school. The Institute ensures its students have access to state-of-the-art computer rooms with the latest software programs in its Information Technology and Multimedia courses.
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Art
The Gordon is proud of its history in flexible learning. The Gordon still holds classes at night to accommodate part-time students who work during the day and in 1975, became the first Australian TAFE to have an off-campus unit. Each teaching school had also previously run its own specialist training but in 1975, a centralised unit was set up to address industry and community interest courses. The 2001-built Flexible Learning Centre and the Institute's involvement with the TAFE Virtual Campus pilot project as alternatives to the classroom demonstrate The Gordon's ongoing commitment to innovative study.