SLOWLY but surely, things are getting back on track at the Wangaratta GOTAFE campus.

After a lockdown that lasted 111 days, students from all fields are able to physically attend to their lessons.

Travis Heeney, GOTAFE chief executive officer, said the TAFE is going to a new normal.

“We had to review how to ensure our students can study online; the good thing about COVID-19 is that we improved some of our online experiences,” Mr Heeney said.

“It will be better than ever because we will be able to welcome our students on campus and ensure that their interactive environment allows them to study at home.

“This pandemic was hard for our students, they were the most impacted, because some of them weren’t able to complete their studies, and we are absolutely continuing to support those students.

“But of course there are some practical elements in our courses, some hands on experience on campus here that just couldn't be done, and students still need to complete that.

“Last year, practising on campus was impossible so we tried to make the most out of it to teach them more theory than practice."

Mr Heeney said GOTAFE was currently improving its IT equipment because this period had demonstrated the importance of a high-performance computer system.

“Also, in 2019 GOTAFE renewed its assets and equipment and it is starting to pay off,” he said.

“We have 150 courses on scope which is a significant offering, and we noticed a significant demand in apprenticeships notwithstanding the fact that there’s some other 140 courses that are also aligned to meet industry demand and shortages, but also to meet individuals' interests.

“The courses GOTAFE offers are unique because they are recognised overseas.”

Mr Heeney said GOTAFE is expecting to enrol 12,000 new students this year and that there was an exponential demand for courses at the moment.