Welcome to the Sunbury Macedon Ranges VET Cluster

The Sunbury Macedon Ranges VET Cluster (SMRVC) is a newly formed cluster in 2025, made up of ten (10) government, independent and catholic schools, bringing together secondary schools across the region to provide students with greater access and wider breadth of learning opportunities to Vocational Education and Training (VET) pathways — closer to home.

By working together, the VET Cluster enhances opportunities for students to explore, engage and pursue vocational learning that aligns with industry needs, their personal interests, and post-school aspirations.

The VET Cluster collaborates with TAFEs, and other Registered Training Organisations (RTO’s), to increase access to VDSS programs across the Sunbury Macedon Ranges region, as well as engaging with the Local Learning and Employment Networks, ((LLEN’s), being the Central Ranges LLEN, and Hume Whittlesea LLEN), local employers and industry who all contribute to providing opportunities for structured work placements for students to gain hand’s-on experience to successfully complete their VET courses.

The SMRVC Member schools are from the State, Catholic and Independent sectors and include:

• Alice Miller
• Braemar College
• Castlemaine Secondary College
• Gisborne Secondary College
• Kyneton High School
• Sacred Heart College
• Salesian College
• Sunbury College
• Sunbury Downs College
• Sunbury Macedon Ranges Specialist School (SMRSS)

The Cluster strives to provide VET opportunities to not only students within the Cluster alliance but welcomes student enrolments from neighbouring regions.

Staff

All schools have a staff member assigned as a VET Coordinator to help their students choose a VET subject. They also provide ongoing support over the VET Certificates undertaken in Years 10, 11 and 12, including structured work placement as required.

Maybe move to VET courses

The Cluster offers an extensive range of courses across a number of different industries, whilst considering the VDSS priority courses.

Please refer to the Sunbury Macedon Ranges VET Courses page for the Cluster’s 2026 VET course offerings and opportunities. 

Creating opportunities for students to explore vocational pathways

The SMRVC plays a vital role in creating opportunities for students to explore vocational pathways closer to their Home school. Student access to the large range of VET courses on offer is only possible through the efficient functioning of the VET Cluster, its processes and the excellent communication between its member schools. Within the group of SMRVC VET Coordinators and their Principals, there is a strong commitment to the Cluster, all working together to enhance student outcomes, continually seeking to improve the Cluster processes.

Through the Cluster, VET Coordinators receive the support they need to carry out their important roles effectively. VET Coordinators in both Home and Host schools, collaborate closely and support each other in their shared commitment to their VET students. The Cluster protocols and processes, the timelines, provide a structure for the work involved in supporting these students.

Cluster Future Development

Whilst several schools in the Cluster already collaborate and host students from other schools in their VET courses, with the creation of the VET Cluster this has enabled the opportunity for all VET Coordinators in the Cluster to formally meet several times throughout the year to discuss what VET courses their schools offers, what courses their students are interested in, any challenges they are experiencing, what resources can be shared (in the way of VET trainers, school facilities, timetabling, etc), to determine if additional VET courses could potentially be offered within the Cluster schools. They are able to collaborate closely and support each other in their shared commitment to their VET students.

The Cluster creation also ensures that VET Coordinators receive Professional Development opportunities, and the support they need to carry out their important roles effectively.

Whilst it is not possible that all VET courses will be offered within the Cluster group of schools, the creation of the Sunbury Macedon Ranges VET Cluster importantly enables VET Coordinators to collaboratively discuss these challenges, and engage with TAFE’s and other RTOs to identify the best option for their students.

The Sunbury Macedon Ranges Cluster would like to thank the generosity of the Bendigo Community Bank branches of Gisborne & District and Lancefield & Romsey branch), for their support through grant funding to develop the Sunbury Macedon Ranges VET Cluster website, and Handbook which will provide a valuable resource for schools, students, families, RTO’s, employers, industry and community. It is the intention that this website will become a central point of reference regarding  VET Courses offered within the Cluster schools, as well as learning more about the positive impact VET can have for student development and career pathways.

Sunbury Macedon Ranges VET Cluster Vision

The Sunbury Macedon Ranges VET Cluster vision is for schools to work collaboratively to ensure students in the Cluster have reasonable access to the core offering of VDSS, including options with the most appropriate provider.

Sunbury Macedon Ranges VET Cluster Priorities:

1. Establish a shared vision for ensuring students have reasonable access to high quality VDSS
2. Support collaboration between stakeholders and across school sectors
3. Facilitate shared provision of VDSS between member schools
4. Coordinate delivery access to VDSS
5. Streamline the administrative requirements of VDSS for member schools
6. Address access barriers to VDSS
7. Work strategically to respond to student demand and place-based needs to increase access/offering
8. Build working relationships with key industry representatives to prioritise provision to reflect local community and regional industry needs
9. Facilitate improved practice in the coordination and delivery of VDSS
10. Advocate for the needs of all students within the Cluster
11. Advocate for transport solutions to provide greater access to VDSS provision
12. Build Cluster capacity to meet future VET demand through workforce initiatives, professional learning, Communities of Practice, and facilities and resources