By Aaron Cordy
THE gap in higher education from regional centres like Shepparton and metropolitan centre is vast, with 52 per cent of school leavers in Melbourne going to higher education compared to 18 per cent for Greater Shepparton.
Bakers Delight co-founder Roger Gillespie, with other partners, saw the education gap in 2017 and founded the Bradford Pathways Program. The Pathways program was piloted in Albury-Wodonga in 2017 before expanding to Shepparton, thanks to a philanthropic donation in 2019 from The Gillespie Family Foundation of $250,000.
In 2020 the Bradford Program at GSSC had around 10 students which has grown to 110 students in 2024. Over the course of each year, students participate in scheduled classes where they receive specialised guidance, induction, mentoring and conditional entry into their chosen university course/study area.
On Wednesday, June 19, Roger Gillespie along with La Trobe’s Pro-Vice Chancellor (Regional) Melanie Bish, and Head of Campus Shepparton Elizabeth Capp, visited the GSSC campus to meet students participating in the program and offer them their conditional entry into their chosen university course.
GSSC student, Abby Hill is hoping to use the pathway to study a Bachelor of Education at La Trobe in Shepparton.
“I chose the Bachelor of Education. It’s kind of second nature to me, teaching people or guiding people. I really connect a lot with Primary school and it is important to set you up for life, especially in rural communities to get the best out of their education,” said Abby.
“The school made it really easy to get into the Bradford Program. There was a big meeting at La Trobe informing us of what it is and what it will look like, and how it will help us… A lot of past year students pushed for a lot of us to join the Bradford Program because it helped them so much they said it would help us as well.”
