The opening of a new accommodation centre at the Waurn Ponds Marcus Oldham College campus will accommodate 30 students in their final year of studies.
The new centre received $2.5 million in funding via the Agricultural College Modernisation Program, which helps colleges and other training providers to upgrade on-campus programs and facilities.
Marcus Oldham College students studying degrees in agriculture, agribusiness, and equine management will utilise the centre.
Agribusiness student and resident at the new facility Ben Mulligan said the building suited his studies as he entered his third year of studies.
"The facilities here allow me to mingle with others after class and help with our studies together," Mr Mulligan said.
"You learn in the classroom, but everyone is also from a diverse background from all around the country, so you learn from each other when you leave the classroom too."
READ MORE:
Along with bedrooms, the facility also includes common areas, kitchens and shared bathrooms.
Agribusiness student Zali Thomas said the rooms at the facility were "beyond anything a student could ask for" and the accommodation facility came at a good time for those wanting to pursue a career in agriculture.
"Agriculture is such a place for astronomical growth, and we're seeing new technologies all the time that make things efficient," she said.
"The facilities here will also see connections built between us students ... which then leads to networking opportunities.
Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas visited the college campus to open the new building on Wednesday, which she said will give more students an immersive on-campus experience.
"Under our ten year agriculture strategy, we've invested $50 million into education, [with] $20 million of that to upgrade facilities, but we have $30 million which we are also looking to spend on supporting more training and development opportunities right across the agriculture sector," she said.
Ms Thomas said she and Education Minister James Merlino committed $5 million to a pilot for schools participating in a program aiming to increase agriculture interest in Victorian high schools.
Ongoing work into a report led by the Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle looking at TAFE's capacity to meet the needs of the agriculture sector will also provide guidance for training.
"There's a lot going on, but certainly we as a government are very aware of the need to support the training and development needs of our agriculture sector," she said.
"Farmers tell us that we've got to work to make more of that training available, more easily accessible and [prioritising] on the job [training]."
Ms Thomas said she would work with the horticulture and dairy sectors, which are experiencing a shortfall in workers, to develop career pathways in those sectors.
The new facility at Marcus Oldham is the first infrastructure project to be completed as part of the program, and will increase its on-campus accommodation capacity to 153 beds in total.
