The Gordon
The Gordon (Gordon Institute of TAFE) is a government-owned vocational education institution in Geelong, Victoria, delivering accredited Certificates, Diplomas, apprenticeships, and short courses across trades, health, IT, and creative industries to domestic, international, and secondary school students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersGeelong, Australia
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Gordon does
The Gordon, legally the Gordon Institute of TAFE, is a government-owned vocational education and training institution headquartered in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, operating across four campus locations in the Geelong and Werribee regions. The institution delivers accredited vocational programs spanning Certificates III through Advanced Diplomas across more than ten study areas, including building trades, automotive and engineering, animal studies, health and science, business and IT, early childhood education, cookery and hospitality, hair and beauty, horticulture, visual arts, and community services. It also offers VCE senior secondary programs, apprenticeships and traineeships, Free TAFE subsidized courses, and non-accredited short courses such as welding certification and wildlife care.
The Gordon's revenue model is anchored in government-funded training under Victoria's Skills First Program, supplemented by VET Student Loans, full-fee domestic tuition, international student tuition under CRICOS Provider No. 00011G, and short-course fees. Pricing is structured as hourly unit rates, with concession and Free TAFE options available for eligible Victorian students. The institution is registered as a training organisation under TOID 3044 and holds CRICOS accreditation for international student delivery. Its go-to-market combines direct enrollment via website, phone, and in-person channels, five annual Info Nights across campuses, VET in Schools partnerships with secondary schools, apprenticeship coordination through employer networks, and international student recruitment via Education Agents.
The institution maintains affiliate partnerships with the Geelong Tech School, The Culinary Collective, the Skills and Jobs Centre, and the Skilling the Bay regional workforce initiative, forming an integrated regional training and employment ecosystem. Recent strategic activity includes the 2025 launch of a Centre of Excellence in Disability Inclusion and a nationally accredited EV Diagnostics course, and the May 2026 appointment of Darryl Mohr as Board Chair.
The Gordon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Gordon
- Legal name
- Gordon Institute of TAFE
- Website
- https://thegordon.edu.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The Gordon (Gordon Institute of TAFE) is a government-owned vocational education institution in Geelong, Victoria, delivering accredited Certificates, Diplomas, apprenticeships, and short courses across trades, health, IT, and creative industries to domestic, international, and secondary school students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Gordon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vocational Education and Training
- NAICS
- Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Services (611), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Systems & Skills Technical Assistance (BPADAEAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Short-Term Certificate & Micro-Credential Programs (International) (EDAIAIAI), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)
Keywords
Where The Gordon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Geelong
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices4 records
Markets served
The Gordon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Government Funded Training (Skills First Program): The primary revenue stream comes from Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding through the Skills First Program, which subsidizes tuition for eligible students. The government contributes funds toward the cost of training, with most students eligible for this subsidised funding.
- VET Student Loans (VSL): Australian Government loan scheme allowing eligible students to defer tuition costs for Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas. Students may be eligible if they are Australian citizens, permanent humanitarian visa holders, or qualifying New Zealand citizens, and meet academic requirements.
- Full Fee Tuition: International students and those not eligible for government funding pay full fee tuition. For example, Certificate III in Floristry full fee is AUD $17.99 per hour totaling approximately AUD $16,641 for the full course.
- International Student Tuition: The institution has an International division offering courses to overseas students, who pay full fee rates. CRICOS Provider No. 00011G.
- Short Courses: Non-accredited and accredited short courses generate revenue from participants. Examples include Wildlife Care courses (AUD $195-380), Welding Certification Training (AUD $1,200), and Electrical training courses (AUD $1,250).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) - Full Fee |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Electrical Restricted License Course |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Welding Certification Training (AS1796) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing - Concession |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Wildlife Rescue and First Aid Techniques |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Wildlife Triage and Emergency Care |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Gordon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Gordon is a Victorian government-owned TAFE institution delivering government-subsidised vocational education and training (VET) programs across multiple campuses in Geelong and Werribee. Its offering includes accredited certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, apprenticeships, traineeships, VCE senior secondary programs, Free TAFE courses, and short courses covering trades, health, animal studies, business, IT, creative arts, hospitality, and community services. Programs are delivered via face-to-face, online, workplace, and blended modes, with revenue primarily from Skills First government funding and tuition fees.
Product overview
The Gordon is a TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of vocational education and training programs. The offering consists of full-time and part-time TAFE courses across diverse study areas, including apprenticeships and traineeships in trade areas (building trades, electrical, plumbing, automotive, engineering), health and animal sciences (veterinary nursing, animal care, allied health), creative arts (floristry, graphic design, game design), business and IT (including ICT with CISCO and AWS Academy partnerships), early childhood education, and general education. Programs are delivered through face-to-face campus-based learning, online delivery, workplace training, and blended modes. The institution also provides VCE senior secondary programs, Free TAFE subsidized courses for eligible students, industry short courses, and wildlife care programs. Key offerings include the Centre of Excellence in Disability Inclusion and EV Diagnostics as newer program launches.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full-time and Part-time TAFE Courses Vocational education and training programs delivered across study areas including trades, health, business, IT, arts, and hospitality, offered as full-time, part-time, traineeship, or apprenticeship modes for Australian residents.
Quantifiable outcome
- 240 hours minimum work placement for Veterinary Nursing students
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Gordon
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
The Gordon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Gordon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Geelong Tech SchoolcoreAffiliate partnership with The Geelong Tech School, a collaborative initiative providing technology-focused education and training in the Geelong region. Located at the Werribee campus location.
- The Culinary CollectivecoreAffiliate partnership providing culinary and hospitality training through The Culinary Collective, a specialist cooking school located in Geelong.
- Skills and Jobs CentrecoreAffiliate partnership providing career services, job readiness training, and employment support to Gordon students and the wider community.
- Skilling the BayminorRegional workforce development initiative in the Geelong and surrounding Bay region, supporting skills training and employment pathways.
- Education Agents (International)minorInternational student recruitment through a network of approved Education Agents. Agent Agreements are available for partners.
- Secondary Schools (VET in Schools)corePartnership with Victorian secondary schools to deliver VET courses to high school students. Schools refer students and coordinate delivery as part of VCE/VCE VM programs.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Gordon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TAFE Queensland: Large state-owned TAFE institution delivering vocational education, apprenticeships, and traineeships with a similar government funding model. Comparable portfolio across trades, health, hospitality, and creative industries.
- Chisholm Institute: Victorian TAFE operating across multiple campuses in Melbourne's south-east. Delivers comparable apprenticeships, certificates, and diplomas in trades, health, business, and community services, with similar Skills First funding reliance.
- Holmesglen Institute: Victorian TAFE offering a near-identical portfolio of vocational courses, apprenticeships, short courses, and international student programs. Closely comparable as a Melbourne-region government-funded VET provider.
- Box Hill Institute: Victorian TAFE delivering vocational certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships, and international student programs with comparable funding model and student segments to The Gordon.
- TAFE NSW: Australia's largest state-owned TAFE, offering a comparable mix of vocational certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships, and short courses across trades, health, business and IT. Directly comparable as a public-sector VET provider funded through government programs.
- Kangan Institute: Victorian TAFE offering automotive, trades, health and business vocational courses. Comparable as a public VET provider with apprenticeships and a similar metropolitan/multiple-campus footprint.
Emerging players
- Open Colleges: Large private RTO offering online vocational certificates and diplomas. Comparable as a competitor for domestic and flexible-learner enrolments, though with a different delivery model (online vs campus-based).
Broad incumbents
- Federation University Australia: Regional Victorian university with TAFE operations and vocational pathways. Comparable in serving regional students with applied/vocational programs alongside higher education.
- Swinburne University of Technology: Melbourne-based university offering vocational certificates, diplomas, and pathways in trades, design, and IT. Overlaps with The Gordon on technical/vocational delivery and industry partnerships.
- RMIT University: Major Melbourne-based dual-sector university with a substantial TAFE-style vocational education portfolio, including trades, design, and business. Overlaps with The Gordon on vocational certificates and apprenticeships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Gordon social profiles
Digital presenceThe Gordon compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
The Gordon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Gordon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Gordon subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
The Gordon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Gordon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Gordon
What does The Gordon do?
The Gordon is a Victorian government-owned TAFE institution delivering government-subsidised vocational education and training (VET) programs across multiple campuses in Geelong and Werribee. Its offering includes accredited certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, apprenticeships, traineeships, VCE senior secondary programs, Free TAFE courses, and short courses covering trades, health, animal studies, business, IT, creative arts, hospitality, and community services. Programs are delivered via face-to-face, online, workplace, and blended modes, with revenue primarily from Skills First government funding and tuition fees.
Is The Gordon a public or private company?
The Gordon is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was The Gordon founded?
The Gordon was founded in 1999. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is The Gordon based?
The Gordon is headquartered in Geelong, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does The Gordon make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Government Funded Training (Skills First Program) is the primary driver. The others are VET Student Loans (VSL), full Fee Tuition, international Student Tuition and short Courses.
Who are The Gordon's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TAFE Queensland, Chisholm Institute, Holmesglen Institute, Box Hill Institute, TAFE NSW and Kangan Institute. Open Colleges is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Federation University Australia, Swinburne University of Technology and RMIT University.
Does The Gordon have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Gordon.
What industry is The Gordon in?
The Gordon's product category is Vocational Education and Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAEAI, Education Systems & Skills Technical Assistance, with a secondary code of EDAIAIAI, Short-Term Certificate & Micro-Credential Programs (International). Its NAICS code is 6115 and its SIC code is 8200.