Vic Tunnelling Centre Excursion

Ten lucky Year 9 and 10 students with a passion for construction and large-scale projects recently attended an exclusive excursion to the Victorian Tunnelling Centre (VTC) at Holmesglen Institute in Chadstone. This unique opportunity, a first for students, provided an in-depth look into the world of underground construction and tunnelling.

The VTC, located at Holmesglen Institute's Drummond Street campus, plays a pivotal role in training up to 5,000 workers annually in underground construction, operations, and workplace safety. As Australia’s premier tunnelling facility, it ensures that Victorians lead the way in this field. For the students, this was a chance to explore career pathways in civil construction and learn about the varying qualifications required.

Throughout the day, there was a strong emphasis on the importance of transferrable skills such as communication, critical thinking, creativity, leadership, and initiative—key elements in careers related to tunnelling and construction.  Students learnt about a variety of jobs available related to Victoria’s Big Build projects, including the Metro Tunnel, West Gate Tunnel and the North East Link.

Students participated in four hands-on workshops, beginning with a session that allowed them to try on harnesses and view the confined spaces and tall structures commonly used in training. While they were unable to participate in these activities due to safety training requirements, it gave them a close-up view of the challenging conditions workers face.

Next up was a virtual reality (VR) workshop where students used fire extinguishers in a simulation to put out virtual blazes, learning the importance of choosing the right extinguisher for different types of fires. A few fortunate students even got to drive a simulator excavator, giving them a taste of operating heavy machinery.

After lunch, the students put their skills to the test by using a crane to move heavy items across different locations within a warehouse, followed by another virtual fire-extinguishing challenge—this time using a fire hose. The session provided valuable lessons on workplace safety, including the effects of dropping heavy objects from significant heights.

The final workshop took place in a purpose-built tunnel, where students used augmented reality to visualise large trucks and equipment in a realistic underground environment. They also squeezed into a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) to experience first hand the cramped working conditions, learning that workers often spend up to 16 hours a day in such tight quarters with up to 20 workers together!

Throughout the day, students were engaged in discussions about potential careers and VET (Vocational Education and Training) pathways within their VCE, sparking plenty of interest in future opportunities.

We are proud of how well our students represented Wantirna College and hope this incredible experience has inspired them as they consider their future career paths.

Jessie Dennison

den@wantirnacollege.vic.edu.au           

Tim Knowles

kno@wantirnacollege.vic.edu.au

Careers Practitioners