The Gordon’s sport and recreation courses provide an accredited training program for people wanting careers in the recreation industry. Offered as a dual award, students complete the Diploma of Sport (Development) and the Certificate IV in Fitness. The Diploma of Sport (Development) includes business administration, club management, communication, occupational health and safety, computing, officiating, sport nutrition, sport psychology, sport trainer level 1, coaching children and special populations, fitness testing, fitness programming, strength and conditioning, personal training and first aid. The Diploma of Sport (Development) equips you with skills and knowledge to work in industry as part of a team and manage the operational, administrative and resource requirements of a sport and recreation enterprise. Coaching and instruction and personal training play an integral role in the course. Diploma of Sport (Development) graduates may establish themselves in sport and recreation industries as sports coaches/officiators or event management/sports administrators. Graduates of the Certificate IV in Fitness are able to gain employment as a gym instructor or personal trainer. Diploma of Sport (Development) also offers students a pathway to further study in the areas of human movement, physical education teaching, teaching and sports and recreation management.
If applying for a full time place for the first year of Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma course you MAY need to apply through the VTAC (Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre) system. VTAC application forms are available in the VTAC Guide from newsagents and the Gordon Bookshop.
Alternatively, internet applications can be made by accessing the VTAC web site www.vtac.edu.au
Closing dates for VTAC applications can be found in course brochures or from the Course Browse section of this website. Late fees apply for any applications received after the Timely Application closing date.
It is important when applying to note Extra Requirements which are clearly indicated in the VTAC Guide. Applicants who do not fulfil extra requirements risk not being considered.
The Gordon Institute of TAFE grew out of the need for technical training in the brave new world of the 1800s industrial age. From its origins as a mechanics institute and a night school for tradespeople, the Gordon has become the embodiment of quality vocational education and training in Geelong and beyond.
During the late 1800s, Geelong's increasing importance as an industrial centre, along with a worrying overseas trend showing Britain was losing its traditional markets to the United States and Europe, spurred leading Geelong citizens to campaign for greater technical training. However, it was another overseas event that hastened the Gordon's development.
The heroic exploits of British general Charles Gordon had captured Geelong's imagination. His death during the siege of Khartoum in Africa prompted calls for a memorial. One proposal, backed by a military battalion brass band, suggested a statue but others wanted something more meaningful. What better memorial could there be, it was said, for a man whose life was devoted to civic duty and, especially, to the education of the disadvantaged, than a vocational institute?
Since opening in 1887, in a single-storied hall and operating mainly night classes for tradespeople, the Gordon has developed into an institution operating across five campuses. The Gordon offers 220 nationally recognised courses in seven teaching schools, as well as 240 specialist courses exploring a wide range of career options. There is an annual enrolment of 26,000 students.