Federation University is calling for federal political parties to back a $30 million investment in STEM teaching laboratories at the Berwick campus.
The university warned that without accessible, modern facilities for the local community, many prospective students may bypass higher education as a whole.
Vice-Chancellor and Professor Duncan Bentley said that investing in the university’s STEM capabilities “isn’t just about labs”.
“It’s about giving local students a real shot at high-skill jobs in their own community, this is a long-term win for GSEM and a key part of our vision for the future in the region.”
The $30 million ask is part of the university’s 2025 election and policy priorities, with the greater southeast Melbourne being one of the nation’s fastest growing regions that the university said also requires them to grow.
“The Commonwealth Government’s University Accord shows small regional and suburban campuses offering accessible education need support,” Bentley said.
“Federation’s Berwick campus and the impact on the GSEM region are an example of this gap in our higher education system.
“The GSEM region’s bold ambitions are stymied by the lack of modern STEM facilities in the area, it’s no surprise people feel confused about what local higher education institutions like Federation can offer.”
Bentley also added that a full investment of the STEM labs would allow the institution to offer a more attractive, full practical-based engineering program in Berwick, considering that there are only 30 students enrolled in the course at the campus.
Furthermore, he added that with the lack of investment, it’ll see potential students and prospects travelling farther distances for classes in the city and surrounds, or altogether forgoe their higher-education plans if they were unable to attend accessible resources.
“Young people in the outer south eastern suburbs deserve the best university education, right here at home,” Bentley said.
“We need the facilities to teach our students properly, if we don’t upgrade the facilities, we risk failing to meet the needs of the region’s growing advanced manufacturing sector and unprecedent major infrastructure projects.”
Recently, Federation released their Election and Policy Priorities 2025-2028, which applies to all of its campuses around the state.
Collectively, the document calls for strengthening local partnerships in order to create education-to-employment pathways, as well as co-designed diplomas and paid-placement incentives that align with local business needs.
It also highlights shared investment from government and businesses to ensure a clear return to the community, taking into consideration the minute amount of engineering students compared to the 500 nursing students in Berwick.
