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About the City LLEN Inner Melbourne VET Cluster
The City LLEN Inner Melbourne VET Cluster was established in 2025 to enable the sharing of resources in the organisation and delivery of Vocational Education and Training Delivered to School Students (VDSS) programs. The Cluster collaborates with employers, industry, TAFEs, and Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to increase access to VDSS programs across the City of Melbourne and nearby suburbs.
What is VDSS?
Vocational Education and Training Delivered to School Students (VDSS) allows secondary students to gain practical skills in a specific industry while contributing toward the completion of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), VCE Vocational Major (VCE-VM) or Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC).
Features of VDSS
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VET enables students to gain qualifications for all types of employment, and specific skills to help them in the workplace.
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Undertaking VET while at school allows students to mix general and vocational education and to make a start on training for a career before they leave school.
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VET programs are typically completed over two years and provide students with a qualification or partial completion of a nationally recognised certificate.
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Students can also study VET through School-Based Apprenticeships or Traineeships (SBATs).
To learn more about VET, please visit:
Cluster Vision and Goals
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As part of this vision, we will follow these values:  
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Allowing everyone to participate and achieve, taking into consideration the specific learning environments and needs of our largely atypical student profile.
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Placing the needs of students at the centre of our decision-making by facilitating access to a range of qualifications in a safe and supportive environment close to their school
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Ensuring the provision of high-quality, cost-effective courses and meaningful vocational pathways.
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Building of partnerships and resource sharing based on an environment of collaboration, engagement, and community involvement.
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The City LLEN Inner Melbourne VET Cluster vision is to enable equitable access and provision of VDSS for young people, focusing on marginalised students, to align their aspirations with existing and future local labour markets.
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The Cluster’s goals are to:
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Support collaboration between stakeholders and across school sectors.
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Facilitate shared provision of VDSS between member schools.
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Coordinate delivery access to VDSS.
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Streamline the administrative requirements of VDSS for member schools.
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Address access barriers to VDSS.
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Work strategically to respond to student demand and place-based needs to increase access/offering.
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Facilitate improved practice in the coordination and delivery of VDSS.
Member Schools
The City LLEN Inner Melbourne VET Cluster is made up of member schools across the City of Melbourne and inner suburbs. Member schools are from the State, Catholic and Independent sectors.
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Ave Maria College
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Hester Hornbrook Academy
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Kensington Community High School
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River Nile School
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Saints College
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Simonds Catholic College
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St Aloysius College
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University High School
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Victorian College for the Deaf
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The City LLEN Inner Melbourne VET Cluster plays a central role in creating opportunities for students to explore vocational pathways. Benefits include the improved standing and prioritisation of VDSS, increased access for students, greater provision, greater equity of access with reduced barriers and less unmet demand. The Cluster also aims to reduce the administrative workload for school-based staff and to support improved knowledge and skills of school-based staff and the VET workforce, as well as enable successful cross-sector collaboration.
To find out more about the City LLEN Inner Melbourne VET Cluster, contact:
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Francesca Pisano
VET Cluster Coordinator