Study plans affected

Single mother Misty Vlietman-Paris was “shocked” when she learned only last week that GOTAFE, the Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, was not continuing its dairy education programs in Gippsland.

Ms Vlietman-Paris was planning to start studies for a Diploma in Agriculture (dairy production) at the Warragul campus this year.

She has already completed a certificate four level qualification and was set to continue to further her qualifications and career.

Mr Vlietman-Paris lives in Drouin and works as a senior dairy hand at a Yannathan property that milks 355 cows a day.

It certainly put a dampener on her plans when a friend told her that GOTAFE was withdrawing from Gippsland and, as yet, there is not a replacement training organisation in the region for the dairy industry.

“I’d been expecting a ‘phone call to tell me to come in and enrol (for the diploma course) but that’s not happening now”.

“As a single mum working in the area and studying part time it’s impossible for me to travel to Shepparton to do the course with GOTAFE,” Ms Vlietman-Paris said.

Her daughter is also interested in agricultural studies.

Hopefully something will be in place locally by 2019 when my daughter plans to do a Victorian Certificate in Applied Learning (VCAL) in agriculture, Ms Vlietman-Paris said.

She said she also felt for the instructors that have “developed some really good courses” but would lose their jobs.