In a first for the university, the Chinese students will complete an accredited automotive qualification at the SMB campus.

FedUni TAFE executive director Barry Wright said the students will also study english, undertake work placements at local dealerships and take part in the Worldskills regional competitions.

Eight of the students are from Wuyi College in Chongqing, China, a vocational college specialising in automotive studies. The other three students are from ChangAn Automotive Company, which is the fourth largest car manufacturer in China.

“While they are in Ballarat, the students will live on our university residences experiencing the Australian student culture,” Mr Wright said.

“We plan to have more delegations visiting us in the future and we are working closely with Wuyi College and ChangAn to develop an internationalised curriculum.

“By doing this it is planned that more Chinese automotive students will be able to study here in Ballarat, with us gaining a nationally accredited qualification.

“This is a very exciting time for us because it signals the growing internationalisation of vocational training.”