Melbourne Polytechnic’s Certificate III in Beekeeping is the first of its kind in Victoria, delivering the knowledge and skills to provide crucial pollination services for the agricultural industry and ecosystems through a solar-powered mobile classroom.
About the initiative
An innovative and sustainable course delivery model was required to bring hands-on beekeeping training to students, industry partners and communities spread across the state. Melbourne Polytechnic developed a solar and battery-powered mobile classroom for beekeeping education, affectionately known as ‘the Polynator.’
Melbourne Polytechnic partnered with advanced manufacturing experts MaxiTRANS to create an off-grid trailer specifically designed for hands-on beekeeping training to be delivered where bees are already working. Nine solar panels were installed on the roof, lying flat to comply with height and wind resistance restrictions. These panels power batteries built into the trailer, generating enough electricity to run the equivalent of 2 households. Beneath the batteries is a water storage unit, providing hot water, essential for honey extraction and other tasks.
Not only has this initiative bridged a regional gap in educational delivery, but it has also demonstrated the use of clean energy production and storage to support flexible agricultural education.
Outcomes and next steps
The mobile beekeeping classroom embarked on its first course in 2023, providing students and industry partners with a unique and practical learning experience not achievable in a traditional classroom. The positive early buzz highlights the success of this initiative and its possible broader applications for training delivery with a clean economy focus.
Melbourne Polytechnic’s diverse course offerings open the possibility of revolutionising vocational education through mobile, off-grid classrooms, offering hands-on training in fields such as agriculture, horticulture, plumbing and locksmithing.
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