GOTAFE has established the charter to cement its ongoing commitment to equity, fairness and respect for its community.
The creation of prayer rooms, multilingual interactive displays on campus, LGBTQI+, autism and mental health training for staff are just some of the tangible actions outlined in the new Charter.
The official launch took place at GOTAFE’s Shepparton campus last week.
Its development was led by 18 GOTAFE students, in close collaboration with more than 500 students, staff and community members.
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A GOTAFE spokesperson said the guiding principles of respect, equity, participation, diversity and empowerment strived to forge a pathway to a welcoming environment and equal opportunities for students, staff and the broader community.
“The charter pays particular focus to those community groups more likely to experience discrimination, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, multicultural communities, LGBTIQ identifying people, people with disabilities, younger and older community members,” the spokesperson said.
Commenting on the charter, GOTAFE chief executive officer Travis Heeney reiterated the importance of the launch.
“GOTAFE has had an inclusion focus for a long time, but now we have a systematic and planned approach to embedding social justice and inclusion across our organisation and into everything we do,” Mr Heeney said.
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“We’re immensely proud of the collaborative efforts that have produced this charter, and we’re committed to following its launch with immediate action, with rollout already under way across our campuses.”
Training and Skills Minister Gayle Tierney, who attended the launch, celebrated what the charter represented for the state’s education sector.
“We’re committed to giving every Victorian access to a quality education and making them feel safe while they study – which is at the heart of GOTAFE’s new Social Justice Charter,” Ms Tierney said.
GOTAFE has a strong history of championing diversity, equity and inclusion within its operations, systems and infrastructure.
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Last year, it was awarded the Victorian Training Awards Inclusive Training Provider of the Year, in recognition of the work surrounding the Social Justice Charter — specifically, the support GOTAFE provides for students with disabilities.
● To access the Social Justice Charter and for more information, visit the GOTAFE website.
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