Since 1947, the CAE has provided learning to the Victorian community through a wide range of programs and services, adapting to meet the continually changing needs of adult learners. CAE delivers accredited courses designed to help adults complete their secondary education and begin or change their career direction, as well as a regular calendar of fun and educational short courses.
History of CAE
Opening in 1947, the Council of Adult Education was established under Victorian Government legislation with a broad charter to provide adult education.
CAE’s founding director was Colin Badger. The founding chairman, who remained in that role until 1974, was Frank Crean.
On the 1st of March 2001, the Victorian Parliament passed an amendment to the Adult Community and Further Education (ACFE) Act 1991 which saw the Council of Adult Education come under the ACFE Act. At this time, the name of the organisation was changed to the Centre for Adult Education.
In 2003, the relevance of the names ‘Council’ and ‘Adult’ were seen as not a true reflection of the organisation. The existing name denoted institutional and formal connotations and was not inclusive of all students, both young people and adults. On the 5th of July 2003, the organisation officially became known as CAE.
In late 2012, an amendment to the Education and Training Reform Act was passed to enable the operations of the CAE to be governed by the Box Hill Institute (BHI) Board.
From 30 June 2019 the Centre for Adult Education (CAE) will be operated by Box Hill Institute.
Activities offered by the CAE have changed over the years. In 1947, activities included travelling theatre, drama, dance, music, art exhibits, book groups and a range of other courses and classes. Today, the CAE offers a range of programs and services with a strong focus in arts, languages and adult secondary education. Other options include business, information technology, human services, languages, wellbeing, fitness and literacy.
Strategic Plan 2024-2028
The Box Hill Institute Board of Directors has developed a comprehensive Strategic Plan for 2024-2028 which clearly articulates the direction and actions BHI will pursue. The plan is fully consistent with the expectations of the Victorian Government and provides a unique opportunity to mould our business to deliver a better, more robust service for our students, learners and business partners.
Mission & Values
Transforming lives through the power of learning.
- We are supportive and accessible, providing an excellent learning environment for the personal and professional development of each learner
- We deliver flexible, relevant, dynamic and authentic learning experiences
- We foster the learner relationship to facilitate individualised pathways and outcomes throughout employment, career and life
- We provide a working environment that encourages lifelong learning and development, both formal and informal, for our staff
Learning
- We are supportive and accessible, providing an excellent learning environment for the personal and professional development of each learner
- We deliver flexible, relevant, dynamic and authentic learning experiences
- We foster the learner relationship to facilitate individualised pathways and outcomes throughout employment, career and life
- We provide a working environment that encourages lifelong learning and development, both formal and informal, for our staff
Inclusion
- We understand and meet the needs of culturally, linguistically and demographically diverse learners
- We provide responsive programs, services and facilities to create and ensure learning opportunities for the entire community
Integrity - We are accountable, honest, ethical and transparent in all that we do
- We ensure accountability and compliance through a sound governance framework
- We build and sustain high levels of trust and respect within CAE and the wider community
Innovation
- We continually drive positive change to respond to the needs of our dynamic learning and organisational environment
- We share our knowledge and ideas to foster a learning culture
- We develop our leadership in education and act upon it
- We take all actions within a framework of continuous improvement, challenging the status quo, encouraging and seeking improvement and excellence in everything we do.
Commitment
- We ensure a high level customer service experience to every learner, business and community member who interacts with us
- We work as a team with passion to achieve a shared common purpose that supports learners, business clients, staff and all stakeholders of the CAE community
Annual Reports
A CAE Annual Report is published each year and is presented to Parliament.