A brand-new state-of-the-art $23.5 million culinary school and training restaurant has been officially opened at The Gordon Institute of TAFE Geelong City campus.
The new facility will be used by students studying commercial cookery and patisserie and bakery.
It will also offer short courses, such as barista training, to help create a pipeline of hospitality workers for the region ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Geelong will serve as one of four main regional hubs for the Games, increasing the number of workers in areas such as hospitality.
Cookery and hospitality jobs are critical to Geelong’s economy and the school will provide education and training opportunities that engage all students and supports the industry.
“This new facility will give the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals the training they deserve and help create a pipeline of skilled workers for the region ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games,” Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney said at the official opening.
The culinary school features new cutting-edge food training kitchens, along with a new barista academy and cafe. It also includes a new central courtyard that will be available for dining by the end of the year and a new bakery training facility which will open in early 2023.
It will support an additional 579 new students over the next four years, including 275 new apprentices and trainees.
The state government invested $13.5 million towards the project, with The Gordon contributing $10 million.
“Bringing the Commonwealth Games to Geelong in 2026 will provide a huge boost to tourism as well as the hospitality industry and that’s why we are investing in training and skills for the event right now,” Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy Shaun Leane said.
