Central Tafe celebrates 100 years of excellence

16/5/00
Perth's oldest TAFE college celebrated its centenary tonight with hi-tech demonstrations, futuristic visions and reminiscences of a century as a leader in vocational education and training.
The milestone was marked at Central TAFE, one of Australia's four biggest TAFE colleges, with the unveiling of a plaque and a time capsule to be reopened in 2050.
The celebration of 100 years of service to Western Australia was held at Central TAFE's East Perth campus, site of the college's new Centre for Online Services and Communications, due to be opened later this year.
Employment and Training Minister Mike Board said the new centre was being established in response to a call from Premier Richard Court to have the whole of the State online.
"The Centre for Online Services and Communications will provide training in the growth areas of electronic commerce and electronic service delivery," Mr Board said.
"It will also be supported by the creation of Central TAFE's first diploma in E-Commerce, which will start in semester two of this year.
"It is fitting that these initiatives, which are about training for the future, should be announced at the celebration of the centenary of what is WA's oldest tertiary institution and the State's biggest TAFE college."
Mr Board said the past 100 years had seen a continued commitment by Central TAFE to meeting the ever-changing training needs of students and industry, and the rewards had been exceptional.
"In 1900, there were 69 Perth Tech enrolments. Today, some 25,000 students attend Central TAFE campuses every year," he said.
"Tonight's birthday celebration recognises Central TAFE's colourful history and its fantastic future as it moves towards the next 100 years."
The occasion also was celebrated with the launch of the book, Art and Design in Western Australia: Perth Technical College 1900-2000.
Mr Board said the publication focused on Central TAFE's unbroken 100-year history in teaching art and design and promised to become a major reference text on WA art and artists.
The anniversary year also will be celebrated with a centenary retrospective exhibition reflecting Perth Tech's role in the development of WA art and design over the past 100 years is also planned.
The exhibition will be shown at PICA from August 25 to September 17 before travelling the State in 2001-2002.
Media contact: Tamatha Smith 9222 9211