Bass Coast College enjoys Future Bound program

RECENTLY Country’s University Centre Bass Coast has delivered the FutureBound Program to Year 9 students at Bass Coast College, Dudley Campus.

The program has been co- designed with Swinburne University and delivered in partnership with South Gippsland and Bass Coast Local Learning Network and is funded through the Federal Governments Regional Partnership’s Program Pool.

The program aims to demystify the university experience for regional student– to teach young people around the language around university through a series of practical and engaging activities. 

Participants meet and learn from current CUC and Swinburne University students, who have developed taster sessions across a range of disciplines including business and law, media, engineering and communications. Students can find out firsthand what it is like to go to university and learn about the different ways that higher education can work for you.

Centre Manager for Country Universities Centre, Sarah Bourke said “we know that people living in regional and rural parts of Australia are 50% less likely to engage in higher education, and with 57% of our currently registered students being the first in their families to go to university, FutureBound has been introduced as an outreach program for our schools in the region to nurture post-secondary 
aspirations for young people”.

Assistant principal at Bass Coast College, Phil De Salvo said, “the earlier we can be having conversations with young people about potential career pathways the better. 

These pathways can help students find some purpose and set goals while developing skills into the future. It has been fantastic to allow students to have some exposure with Country Universities Centre to inform them of what can be offered to facilitate their future work and lifestyle goals. 

I’m proud that this can be offered to Year 9 students to engage with their aspirations for the future, whether that be university, higher education, trades and other work pathways post-secondary school.”

The program is currently being delivered at South Gippsland and the Bass Coast secondary schools free of charge, and to learn more about how your school may be involved please visit www.cucbasscoast.edu.au.

CUC Bass Coast is a not-for-profit community driven enterprise established in 2020 with the aim of making higher education more accessible for students of all ages across the region. 

Currently with 153 registered students, the centre is open for access to these students seven days a week, providing high speed technology, academic mentoring and network of like-minded students to create a community of learning environment.