Partnerships and community engagement

Our campus plays a vital role in the community. We partner with many organisations and community groups in the Shepparton region.

Our industry and community partnerships enhance the learning experience of our students, foster research opportunities for our researchers and local organisations, and build professional skills in our region.

Health partners

We have close links with regional hospitals and health providers that provide placements for our students. Shepparton nursing students often take up study abroad opportunities to complete international placements or placements in metropolitan settings such as The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

Students enrolled in our social work courses are linked to professional organisations for local placements.

We collaborate with Goulburn Valley Health to offer student placements and training, research opportunities and professional development programs. Examples include delivering the Leaders In Lockdown program for a cohort of Goulburn Valley Health leaders and strategies to address workforce needs more broadly.

Education partners

We support the Shepparton Education Plan and its vision to empower students to learn and achieve, experience high-quality teaching, and improve practice and conditions for learning.

We partner with government, Catholic and independent schools to deliver programs to promote higher education opportunities and encourage further studies.

In partnership with Greater Shepparton Secondary College, we deliver the Bradford Shepparton Pathways Program which works with year 11 and 12 students to develop resilience, academic capacity and desire to further education studies.

The Nexus Master of Teaching (Primary) and Master of Teaching (Secondary) programs place high-achieving graduate teacher candidates in a school while completing their teacher training, supported by mentoring and professional development.

We work closely with Goulburn Ovens TAFE (GOTAFE) to develop and deliver programs with articulated pathways from TAFE Diploma to university bachelor degree studies – notably nursing, social work, education and business.

La Trobe and GOTAFE also jointly operate a new campus in Wallan to serve a rapidly growing region in Melbourne’s outer northern corridor.

La Trobe will recognise qualifications from ASHE , (in partnership with GOTAFE) to make guaranteed offers to students who identify as Indigenous into the Bachelor of Nursing, Bachelor of Human Services/Master of Social Work in 2020 and the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) from 2021.

Community and research partners

Our agreement with the Greater Shepparton City Council fosters many collaborative projects. Our partnership with the Women’s Charter Alliance jointly delivers events and exhibitions. We are also pursuing a potential collaborative research project to connect with disengaged youth as well as a social media project to match students on work placements with small businesses, based at the Greater Shepparton Business Centre.

Our agreement with AgBioEn – an innovative project to bring emissions-free renewable energy and fuels to regional Australia – will explore opportunities for innovative industry research and work placements for our students. The project aims to create clean, low-emission renewable energy and fuels from agricultural waste.

Other student work placement hosts

Many organisations in the Shepparton region host our students on work placements or provide mentoring partnerships. Some of these organisations include:

  • Campbell’s Arnott’s
  • CAF Consulting
  • Chris Smith & Associates
  • Furphy Engineering
  • GE Silos
  • Goulburn Murray Water
  • Goulburn Valley Water
  • Greater Shepparton Council
  • Shepparton Festival
  • Shepparton News
  • The Bridge Youth Service
  • Unilever.

Photo of Adam Furphy

La Trobe Shepparton has strong links throughout the community in relation to career opportunities, and a personalised approach by staff that ensures successful outcomes for as many students as possible.

Adam Furphy
Managing Director, J. Furphy & Sons,
La Trobe University Council Member
Photo of David Tennant

Family Care has been lucky to have access to La Trobe staff and graduates – La Trobe is part of the fabric of this community.