Highly-skilled teachers and school leaders in Ballarat are another step closer to accessing world-class professional learning opportunities, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins today announced the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership (the Academy) will be built on Camp Street in the Ballarat Regional Centre.

The Academy will deliver advanced professional learning for high-performing teachers across government, Catholic and Independent schools.

It will also provide an opportunity for teachers to develop their skills and become recognised as state-wide leaders in teaching excellence, while still teaching in classrooms around the state.

The Labor Government has invested $148.2 million over four years to establish the Academy, which provides high-quality professional learning in two streams: Teaching Excellence and Leadership Excellence.

The Teaching Excellence Program supports up to 500 highly skilled teachers from government, Catholic and independent schools across Victoria each year to advance their professional practice, with access to the best research in the science of learning and discipline-based content knowledge.

The Leadership Excellence Program delivers targeted, evidence-based professional learning opportunities for Victorian government school leaders.

The contract to develop the Camp Street site has been awarded to local Ballarat builder H.Troon, with works set to be complete by the end of 2022.

The site will also be home of the City of Ballarat’s Arts Incubator – which received $75,000 in funding as part of the Government’s Co-Working and Creative Spaces Program.

The partnership with the City of Ballarat to create the Arts Incubator will provide valuable opportunities for a wide range of artistic genres to meet, collaborate and add value to each other’s works.

The lower ground floor will be used as the Arts Incubator and is designed to provide skills in video, TV and sound production and is built for purpose.

Quote attributable to Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins

“The Academy will ensure our teachers get the best professional development and building this facility in Ballarat will deliver major benefits to the local economy and support jobs.”

Quote attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos

“We’re delivering more opportunities for Victorian artistic communities to meet and collaborate, helping more creatives to deliver new works, while supporting the communities that support them.”

Quote attributable to Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison

“The establishment of the Academy in Ballarat shows our support for the ongoing development of our hardworking teachers, and our commitment to the education state.”

Quote attributable to Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle

“We’re giving teachers and school leaders in the region the opportunity to develop their skills through the Academy, as well as advance their professional practice.”