Opening doors to education, Raffaela Galati-Brown leads the way

Raffaela has been instrumental in shaping NCAT into a unique educational hub which responds directly to the vocational and educational needs of its students, workforce, and community. Its various programs focus on the arts, trades, and technologies. It is a school worth noting – for its programs and for the student talent that it nurtures. And Raffaela certainly stands out as an extraordinary principal whose own Italian migrant experience has shaped her passion and approach to education.

In 2013 the College was part of a large Regeneration project and now focuses on Year 10, VCE and VCAL programs. Located in Preston, the hub it also provides local schools with a way to tap into NCAT to complement and extend their offerings. Walk around the impressive campus and you will invariably see people of all ages, cultural backgrounds, faiths and abilities busy working with state of the art, specialised equipment under the watchful guidance of expert teachers.

The student body may be diverse, but it is united in by a shared determination to learn specialist skills and pursue an extraordinary vocation. Arts, design, automotive, furniture design and making, electrical, integrated technology, engineering, plumbing, multimedia, photography, dance, theatre, music are just some of the programs offered at NCAT.

Despite Raffaela’s track record in education, there are no signs of slowing down for this petite woman who greets everyone with a broad smile and a toss of curls. Raffaela’s extraordinary educational journey might just surprise her first teacher in Australia.

Originally from the small town of Acquaro, Calabria, Raffaela was only 8 years old when she migrated to Australia with her parents. She recounts that her first encounter with the educational system was at a Catholic school in inner city Melbourne.

She was eager to restart her studies and make new friends – however, an early interaction with the nun who taught the class left her dismayed and confused. She recalls being humiliated hearing the teacher and her new classmates laughing at her fumbling response to questions around her level of English.

This mortifying incident however set the young Raffaela off on her quest to learn English with such fierce determination she zoomed through all the set reading books ahead of schedule and triumphantly finished top of her class in English studies.  With the same resilience and purposefulness, she set on a path to becoming a teacher.

Despite being tempted by a tutorship after completing her Honours Degree at the University of Melbourne, she stuck to her resolve to become a teacher with the support of a scholarship. For Raffaela, her aspiration was to contribute to making a difference to young people’s lives through education, as she explains “everyone, no matter who they were, what their circumstances or despite the challenges”.

Raffaela herself is no stranger to adversity, and experiencing the benefits of education. Her parents left post-war Italy behind in the mid-1960s to create a new life with their two young children, Raffaela and her brother.

However, life had other plans. Her father passed away of a brain tumour after only two years of settling in Australia. Within a further four years, her brother had also passed.

Devastated but determined, Rafaela’s young mother took charge of everything. She recalls how her mother even took it upon herself to climb their house to fix a roof leak. Paradoxically, the story is recounted as we gaze out the first floor office window across to the roof of a building used by NCAT students to practice building skills. Raffaela smiles and explains how NCAT is active in providing opportunities for women to specialise in a trade “everyone should have the opportunity to follow their passion”.

Joshua Redolfi (centre) with Raffaela Galati-Brown

In 2022 NCAT won the Age newspaper’s “Schools that Excel Award” for it VCE results. The school has a robust record of success with students gaining scholarships, apprenticeships, and employment.

Raffaele reals off a series of examples: the student who made his own 3D printer based on those used during his course; the student who excelled in cabling and went on being part of the cabling installation for the College. Also, Joshua Redolfi, who states that, “through the hands-on VCE-VET programs I discovered a love of electronics and telecommunications. I felt encouraged and supported by the teachers to achieve high scores in VCE, which resulted in me getting the VCE Premier's Award in VCE VET Integrated Technologies. I went on to Swinburne University to complete a double degree in applied mathematics and telecommunications engineering”.

Joshua, to the joy of his own Triestino migrant background family, gained a Dean’s Outstanding Achievement Scholarship in Engineering. This took him to Switzerland to study entrepreneurship and Financial Technology. Joshua explains, “I really wish more schools offered more VET/hand-on programs to give students a better idea of what they want to do in their future career or at university”.

It is no wonder that a range of organisations are eager to partner with NCAT. Raffaela has successfully negotiated a range of partnerships not just with universities but also with companies such as Sutton Tools, Australian Furniture & Cabinetmakers Association and Civil Engineering Group. These are important in ensuring that the educational experience is informed and well-placed to lead to strong vocational outcomes.  

Northern College of the Arts and Tecnology in Preston, Victoria

For instance, Maton Guitars approached the College to initiate a partnership. They were keen to ensure a high standard of local workmanship in Australia and gain skilled employees as a result. The initiative is thriving. Some of the students have gone to design and produce an array of various instruments, set up their own business and even exhibit in international festivals.

The various technology and art workshops, the sound and mixing studios, the dance, theatre and music recital studios, the photography labs – have all been built and operate under the leadership of Raffaela and dedicated team. The buildings reflect good practice in sustainability, the gardens thrive with native flora, a mural artwork of Bunjil by former student and artist Coree Thorpe greets everyone. As you navigate the various buildings, it is obvious that a lot of sheer hard work has gone into strategically developing an array of grants, partnerships and expertise to ensure this learning hub is well positioned to contribute to the community for years to come.

It is no surprise that Raffaela has received, amongst many accolades, an Order of Australia medal for Services to Education and Indigenous Youth in 2008, “I was very proud and honoured to be recognised for my work in education.  I have always been very passionate when it comes to education and access to education. I have spent all my working life attempting to find ways to make formal education accessible, relevant, democratic, culturally inclusive and a means of empowering young people so they can take charge of their lives”.

Of course, there is more to Raffaela’s story – but this will have to wait for another article. In the meantime, as Raffaela embarks on another academic year – there is no doubt she will continue to make a difference on the lives of many at this unique school and beyond.