As part of Harmony Week (Monday, March 20 to Sunday, March 26), Victoria University’s vocational education provider Polytechnic has celebrated the achievements of its Western Melbourne English Program (WMEP) in welcoming hundreds of students from across the globe to its classrooms for about 30 years.
With classrooms in Footscray, the WMEP helps students from 16 to more than 65 years of age from a number of countries, including Vietnam, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, Syria and Afghanistan, strengthen their reading, writing, speaking, listening and numeracy skills.
WMEP manager Gabriella Zibell said the WMEP was the only program which delivers a full suite of courses and specialised streams across a number of disciplines.
“We offer more than 20 courses for students wanting to improve their English, whether it be for work, or just to help them with day-to-day activities,” she said.
Students are eligible for funding if they are citizens or permanent residents and do not have a recognised higher qualification, while anyone seeking to learn English as an Additional Language (EAL) is also welcome.
Burmese refugee Aye Aye Si Ccun Sah Boi said she took part in the program as a way to study EAL toward a career in community services.
“I’ve met people from a lot of countries,” she said.
“In future, I want to work with lots of different communities.”
Details: vupolytechnic.edu.au/courses/transition-education/western-melbourne-english-program
