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Federal Minister to open new training facility
Federal Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean will officially open a state-of-the-art Engineering and Science Training Facility at the University of the Sunshine Coast tomorrow (Wednesday 18 May).
The $5 million Commonwealth government-funded facility has been designed specifically for teaching and research in Civil Engineering and Paramedic Science.
The 1050 square metre, semi-industrial building is providing students with a place to conduct experiments and train in ways that were not previously possible at USC.
It has large, open spaces suitable for concrete stress tests, hydraulic engineering experiments, photovoltaic cell (solar cell) testing and emergency scene simulations. It also has several laboratories and tutorial rooms.
Commonwealth funding comprised $2.552 million from the Capital Development Pool Program and $2.115 million from the Teaching and Learning Capital Fund, which has been used for the construction of the building and to purchase specialised equipment.
The University contributed $300,000 to the project.
USC’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill said the training facility had given the University’s Engineering and Paramedic Science programs a significant boost.
“This new building has provided us with state-of-the-art facilities for two of our newest and most popular teaching programs,” he said.
Professor Hill said recent graduates from both professional degrees were already making their presence felt across the Sunshine Coast and further afield.
— Terry Walsh