Why Choose Bedford?
When considering your study options, your choice of training provider is undoubtedly one of the most important decisions you will make in terms of investing in your future. There are so many options available, how do you know which one is the right one for you?
Word of Mouth is Our Best Advertisement
Every year at Bedford when we collate our enrolment information (which includes details on why students chose to enrol at Bedford College) our statistics confirm that the vast majority of students enrolled at Bedford because it was recommended to them by family members or friends. We believe that this is the very best endorsement any training organisation can possibly have. It clearly demonstrates that students are happy with their Bedford experience and are confident to recommend us to others. There is simply no better testament than word-of-mouth.
A Nationally Recognised Qualification in Just One Year
Unlike a university course which takes 3-4 years to complete, a Bedford College diploma course requires a commitment of just one year. In just one year you will have the qualifications – and the skills and knowledge – to get a satisfying, well-paid job; and you can still enroll at university (with one-year credit) if you want to.
The Benefits of a Vocational Qualification
Recent studies have shown that a vocational qualification has more job opportunities – and higher starting salaries – than a university degree. Click here for more information
Fantastic Reputation
After 70+ years in the education industry, our reputation is arguably our most valuable asset. We have a student-centred approach to teaching and we endeavour to retain our position as one of the most widely-recognised, highly-regarded and ethical training organisations in Sydney today.
A Bedford qualification is not a right-of-passage on course enrolment, it’s earned by each and every student – and it’s therefore valued by employers and higher-education providers alike.
Caring Environment
Bedford is a not-for-profit, Christian, Registered Training Organisation. Our ethos provides students with a high-standard of training whilst promoting and maintaining strong, ethical principles. Our holistic approach to training means that we aim to produce confident, highly-skilled individuals who are aware of the ever-changing needs of industry and will strive to attain career success whilst at the same time demonstrating honesty, integrity and respect for all individuals.
The focus of the training at Bedford is to provide a successful career outcome to every student. We believe that in order for our students to have ‘the edge’ in employment success, we must provide them with the best possible learning environment. High-quality, professional training and a happy and caring atmosphere is conducive to a successful learning outcome for our students.
Course Structure
At Bedford we truly believe that we provide the best possible training in an on-campus setting. Whilst we strive to be flexible in our training delivery, we firmly believe that the mix of on-campus (3 days per week), Online (1 day per week) and workplace (1 day per week) training is the perfect learning model and that which provides students with the very best learning outcome. It’s a tried and tested model – it’s successful because it works.
Successful Employment Outcomes
Graduate employment success is a focus for every student and every teacher at Bedford. Our long-standing partnerships with some of the largest employers in Sydney is testament to the standard of training that we provide. Bedford Graduates are sought-after by employers – some organisations visit the College every year and provide job opportunities to our students.
(See Graduate Employment Program for more information).
Automatic Entry into University Degrees
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| Rebecca Stevenson, Bedford Graduate then graduated B.Bus (Accounting) UNE. Now an accountant at Robson Partners Chartered Accountants |
(Fast track your university degree)
For students wishing to undertake further study on completion of their Bedford Diploma – our formal articulation agreements with universities provide the means to do this.
All Bedford Diploma courses provides graduates with GUARANTEED ENTRY (with credit) into a number of high-ranking Australian universities. It’s true to say that there are currently Bedford Graduates enrolled in almost every university in NSW and our list of university partners continues to grow.
(See the University Pathways section on this website for more information).
Small Class Sizes
The College has maintained small class sizes since its inception (usually <20 students). We feel that this is imperative in order to ensure that every individual student’s needs are met; which in turn provides students with the opportunity to achieve his/her own personal best learning outcome.
Student Support
At Bedford College we aim to provide a warm, friendly environment where a feeling of care and concern for every student is fostered. Most students find that they make friends very quickly and receive support from teachers, student services and other students when necessary. Some students may require counselling to assist with course progress and attendance requirements, accommodation issues or personal issues – at Bedford we support students in many ways.
See the Student Support Services page for more information
Free Supervised Study Period
The College offers a free (optional) Supervised Study Period to all Bedford students. All teachers are available for one hour from 3.00pm to 4.00pm every day to assist students who may need extra help or revision.
Dedicated, Supportive Staff
Bedford’s teachers are industry trained professionals dedicated to the professional and personal growth of our students. Teachers participate in annual professional development to ensure that they are aware of the latest teaching techniques and strategies. And most importantly, our staff ensure that our students are always our number one priority.
Relevance
At Bedford we are fortunate to have long-standing relationships with some of the largest companies in Sydney – many of which employ Bedford Graduates year after year. We liaise regularly with our industry partners to ensure that we provide students with training that’s specifically designed to meet the needs of industry – the content is ‘relevant’ to the work environment today.
What that means for the Bedford Graduate is that they have confidence in their knowledge, skills and ability once they enter the workforce.
Facilities and Resources
The facilities and resources at Bedford College are fantastic and are testament to the commitment the College has to quality training for all students. We consistently review and research the very latest in training resources to ensure that teachers and students alike have access to the latest learning resources available. Click on the links below to see more:
GLEBE CAMPUS FACILITIES
NORWEST CAMPUS FACILITIES
Business Training
Bedford College has provided business training for over 70 years and enjoys an excellent reputation within industry; you could say that we are ‘specialists’ in training for the business sector.
We have well-established links with some of the largest firms in Sydney some of which recruit Bedford Graduates year after year. Some employers visit the College every year in an effort to encourage students to apply for positions in their organisation. Employers know firsthand that a Bedford Graduate has received a high-standard of training and will be a successful employee.
(See Business Courses for more information).
Early Childhood Education (Child Care) Training
When we commenced child care training in 2005, we decided to conduct our children’s services courses differently than other training providers. We discussed our ideas with industry experts and it was determined that 3 days at College, 1 day in the Online Classroom (with a teacher) and 1 day each week in a registered Early Childhood Education Centre was the best way to provide students with the ultimate learning experience. (Students also undertake 4 weeks (2 x 2 weeks) block practicum during the 40 week diploma course). This mix of theoretical and practical training equips our students with the very best opportunity for career and further education success.
We also felt it important that students experience the ‘feeling’ of working in a registered early childhood facility whilst studying, and we therefore purpose-built our Early Childhood Campus at Glebe to replicate an ultra-modern early childhood setting. This means that students are able to perform the same tasks in the same environment as would be expected in an up-market children’s services facility – right from day one. The decision to do this at Glebe was so successful that we did exactly the same thing when we opened the Norwest Campus.
(See Children’s Services Courses for more information).
Community Services Training
The Diploma of Community Services course was introduced in 2017 – largely due to the ‘gap’ in the market for ethical, high-quality community services training providers.
Our close relationship with Baptcare (one of the largest and most well-respected community services providers in NSW and ACT) Baptcare information provides us with the unique opportunity to liaise and work with industry experts to gain first-hand knowledge of what is required of a community services worker; what knowledge, skills, attitude and attributes do our graduates need to possess in order to be a successful community services worker?
We firmly believe that our relationship with Baptcare along with our proven record of high-quality training, will assist Bedford community services graduates with the very best opportunity to gain meaningful employment in this sector.
(See Community Services Courses for more information).
Nationally Recognised Courses
Bedford College is an RTO (Registered Training Organisation) registered in Australia by ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority). The College is a registered CRICOS provider (Commonwealth Register Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) and is a member of ACPET (Australian Council for Private Education and Training).
On successful completion of the course, students are eligible to receive a nationally recognised Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) Award and/or Statement of Attainment.
This means that the qualification you receive at Bedford College is nationally recognised by industry and by other training providers.
Bedford College – Prospectus
Download a Bedford Prospectus – 2018/2019
