Are young people staying in Shepparton?

The News spoke to Mr Dowling and others as part of a two-part series about young people in Greater Shepparton. The initial story was about what’s bringing young people to the region.

He said he was “lucky enough to spend three years in Shepparton, studying, forming sports teams and working part-time, all with the support of my grandparents in Mooroopna”.

“I have been able to live regionally and maintain the lifestyle I know and love, while training to become a doctor hoping to serve the communities I’m training in,” he said.

Now, his “best-case scenario” has become a reality, as he accepts a junior doctor position with GV Health.

For Mr Dowling, finding a future in Shepparton has been straightforward. For other young people, staying in the region can be more complicated, with housing, public transport and limited tertiary options becoming barriers to putting down roots.

Committee for Greater Shepparton Community Connector program manager Fiona Blick said there had been a “huge influx” of young people into the region, particularly through the health sector.

But Ms Blick said attracting young people was only part of the challenge, with the region needing to make sure newcomers could build a life beyond a job.

“We need housing that people actually want,” she said.

She said this would mean building more units and town houses suited to single people and couples moving to the region for work.

“Another downside is public transport … you have to plan your day around the bus route,” she said.

Tertiary education was another challenge.

“If you want to go to university, there’s only a very few options that you can do at home locally,” she said.

“If you’re not interested in those, you’ve got no choice but either to leave or to do it online.”

For those who do want to stay, however, local education pathways are expanding.

Northern Victoria Institute of TAFE executive director of services, education and student experience Luke Surace said GOTAFE’s amalgamation with Wodonga TAFE as the NVITAFE had expanded the courses available across the region.

He said more young people were staying local for their studies, with enrolments at GOTAFE increasing 6.3 per cent year-on-year.

Mr Surace said cost-of-living pressures, combined with growing local training opportunities, were influencing young people’s decisions to remain in the region.

“It is expensive to relocate to a metropolitan area, and now there’s more and more quality training opportunities for people to stay locally,” he said.

He added that flexible and part-time study options also allowed students to continue working while they trained.

Mr Surace attended GOTAFE himself and returned to the region about four years ago after moving to Melbourne for a career opportunity.

He said he came back to regional Victoria for the “familiarity and the family” and believed clearer pathways from school into employment or higher education could help more young people build their futures locally.

For Mr Dowling, that pathway has already worked.

“I’m so lucky to have a medical program like mine available in Shepparton,” he said.

But he believes there is room for more.

“It’s a shame that there isn’t more tertiary options in town to help fill the other gaps the community here faces,” he said.

Still, he has no plans to leave.

“The town continues to provide everything I need to settle and begin a life and career here,” he said.

“With the direction the town is going, I can only foresee (and hope) for more young people ... to come get a taste of the area and decide to stay.”