Laneway installation urges Victorians to Look Up to the Future of vocational learning

A new installation hanging above one of Melbourne’s most iconic laneways is putting the future of education front and centre – and overhead.

Look Up to the Future, unveiled on July 12 in Degraves St, is the first public activation under the Victorian Department of Education’s Unlock Your Future campaign, promoting the VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM).

The striking installation features a suspended clothesline of uniforms – from scrubs and chef whites to high-vis and creative gear – each inscribed with aspirations from current VCE VM students across the state.

By inviting passersby to look skyward, the installation seeks to elevate the public perception of vocational learning and celebrate the practical, purpose-driven pathways on offer through the VCE VM.

“We’re reframing how vocational education is seen – not as a fallback, but as a future,” Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll said. “These are real pathways with real opportunities.”

The VCE Vocational Major is the most significant reform to senior secondary schooling in a generation, replacing the old VCAL program. Now offered at more than 400 schools, the two-year program helps students develop skills for work and life, with pathways into apprenticeships, further education or employment.

More than 26,000 students enrolled in the VCE VM in 2024 – a 26 per cent rise since 2022.

City of Melbourne Cr Phillip Le Liu praised the installation’s creativity and impact.

“It celebrates our future workforce in a uniquely Melbourne way – through public art, in a laneway that connects culture and commerce,” Cr Le Liu said.

The free installation runs until August 29 in Degraves St.