Victorian DOE erects open-air gallery to promote vocational education, via Manifest
A new installation above Melbourne’s Degraves Street from the Victorian Department of Education and Manifest is part of a year-long campaign to promote the VCE Vocational Major as a rewarding career pathway.
The announcement:
The Victorian Department of Education has transformed one of Melbourne’s most beloved laneways into an inspiring open-air gallery with Look Up to the Future, a striking visual installation suspended high above Degraves Street. The activation launches a year-long Unlock Your Future PR campaign, designed to reframe perceptions of the VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) as a route to a rewarding career for Victorian students.
Created by award-winning brand communications agency Manifest, the installation features real vocational uniforms – from chef whites to high-vis gear, boiler suits to creative attire – placed high above street level. Each garment bears the authentic career ambition of a current VCE VM student, transforming everyday workwear into symbols of aspiration.
The campaign invites passersby to physically and metaphorically “look up,” to discover the diverse opportunities available through vocational education. A QR code extends the experience, connecting viewers to a refreshed ‘About the VCE VM’ website accompanied by a short film by Manifest showcasing Year 11 and 12 students sharing their experience with the program, the confidence it has given them, and what they hope to do with their careers.
“This is about changing the narrative around vocational education – elevating it from being seen as a ‘fallback option’ to recognising it as a reputable choice that opens doors to exciting careers,” says Isabel Thomson-Officer, Managing Director of Manifest Melbourne.
“Whether you’re drawn to hospitality, construction, creative industries, healthcare or one of the many other pathways that can be explored, the VCE VM empowers students to follow their passions in pursuit of meaningful professions. Our goal is to level the learning field and we’re starting by quite literally lifting it up.”
The activation arrives at a pivotal moment for vocational education in Victoria. With over 26,000 students enrolled in the VCE VM program last year, the campaign launches as younger high school students have started term 3 and will soon begin making subject selections for their final years of school. The VCE VM represents the most significant reform to senior secondary education in a generation, offering students practical, real-world learning combined with classroom-based study.
“It was really important that we created an experience that felt more like art than advertising and so we set out to spotlight the program in a way that would add a new dimension to Melbourne’s renowned laneway culture. By transforming the street into a colourful canvas, we wanted to pay homage to the CBD’s vibrant art scene while putting the positive experiences of dozens of VCE VM students at the centre of the work. What better place to do that than in the heart of Melbourne,” adds Thomson-Officer.
She continues, “This piece is just the beginning and we have lots more exciting initiatives planned to get more students across the state to unlock their future via the VCE VM.”
Look Up to the Future brings together art, educational advocacy, and urban storytelling to create a shareable cultural moment that challenges traditional perceptions of what success looks like. By encouraging students and parents to see the VCE VM as a gateway to unlimited possibilities, the campaign aims to empower a new generation to pursue their dreams while also filling the gaps in some of the state’s most in demand professions.
The free exhibition runs until August 29 along Degraves Street between Flinders Street and Degraves Place.
Source: Manifest
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