Education & training

As Australia looks towards exploring new export markets, the MENA region presents a wealth of trading and investment potential for Australian regional businesses ... This inaugural event on 4 May 2023 will be co-hosted by the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Regional Development Australia in Central Coast, with a guest speaker and participants joining from the MENA region and Australia.

Patricia Gill. Denmark Shire chief executive David Schober will officially end his tenure on July 11 to return to a lifelong passion, coaching basketball. Former professional basketball coach David will take a ‘dream job’ at the Denmark Senior High School vacated by dual Olympian Paul Rogers.

The Malinauskas Labor Government’s return of early childhood courses to TAFE has seen an almost doubling of uptake in just 12 months ... Enrolments in Semester 1 for 2023 for both courses are currently at 456 – almost double the same time last year with 276 enrolments.

An innovative solution to waste management that will see household rubbish and biomass turned into useful products instead of ending up in landfill is set to be demonstrated in Western Australia ... The plant, which was built using a patented design and uses technology developed in WA by Renergi, is the first of its kind and positions Collie as a pioneer in the negative-emission bio-based circular economy.

Pam Dillon. A team of 15 boys from four different schools across the Barkly ventured up to Darwin to compete in the 12 Years and Under School of Sport Education NT Australian Football Championships. Team officials Tyler Horwood and Lachlan Dunemann coached and managed the boys through the three-day championships.

330 primary school students participated in the successful hip hop dance program run by Stomp Dance Company after a $9,000 donation by cluBarham ... The program included the Cohuna, Kerang and Koondrook schools after Cohuna Consolidated School teacher Michelle Howard saw a need to bring students, families and the community back together in a fun and interactive way...

The students of Emu Creek State School last week attended a presentation by Bruce and Denise Morcombe of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation ... Bruce and Denise Morcombe, the parents of Daniel Morcombe, have travelled around Australia for many years educating children on how to be safe in real life and online.

At the Industry Breakfast held last week the Clifton State High School announced the nomination of Claire Keleher for a Queensland Traineeship Award for School Based Apprenticeships ... Year 12 student Claire spoke of how the butcher’s apprenticeship she has begun at the Allora Butchery has given her a new lease of life at school as she has regained her enthusiasm for school because of the program.

The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) CEO Liz Ritchie will launch the national Regionalisation Roadshow in Stawell this week – helping local leaders of Northern Grampians tackle the issues holding their country towns back ... As a member of the RAI, the Northern Grampians offered to host and be the first location in regional Australia to ignite a place-based lens on the framework – focussing on areas including job vacancies, education, and housing.

Founder and CEO of Balanced Choice Adam Drake has been in Tennant Creek presenting his program to participants thanks to funding by RN Employment. Adam has a long connection with Tennant Creek and the Balanced Choice program aims to use his experience in many fields to connect mind body and spirit to help participants be the best version of themselves.

Donald High School. After a two-year break, Year 11 students undertook a week’s work experience last week. Fifteen students travelled to Ballarat to work at a variety of workplaces, and two students stayed in Donald. Students worked in the fields of aged care, education, hairdressing, fitness, tourism, civil engineering, accountancy, building and construction, steel fabrication, and agriculture.

Primary Producers SA has awarded $14,200 on behalf of the E.W. Stevens Trust to students from remote and regional areas of South Australia, assisting them to continue with their studies. The grants are designed to help relieve pressure on regional families in difficult financial circumstances, by providing support to meet the costs of education ... grant recipient Geordie Pryde from Robe is looking to break into the IT sector.

Catherine Grimley. For those who do not know, the canteen runs a daily meal program which supplies students with breakfast, recess and lunch each day. The menu is on a three-week rotation and almost everything is made in the canteen by Merrin and her three wonderful assistants.

Alesha Millard. If you’ve been fortunate enough to meet six-year-old Huxley Hall, then you’d agree he probably had you won over within the first 5 seconds from his sweet, cuddly and perpetually grinning smile ... It was a whirlwind first few weeks adapting to life with a beautiful newborn, pending heart surgery and learning all about Down syndrome and how life was going to change.

Australia’s leading NDIS online therapy provider, Therapy Connect, is virtually stepping into the classroom, providing early intervention and diagnosis to children in remote communities and slashing years off patient waitlists. It is estimated that around 180,000 children in rural NSW are in desperate need of childhood development services that are not available in their region.

NSW’s first Aboriginal Violence, Abuse and Neglect (VAN) Services trainee has graduated in the Far West Local Health District. Proud Barkandji woman Kyeesha Jones said it had always been her dream to work in health and help her people access services.

NORPA is creating a pop-up theatre making space and creative studio in a pavilion at Lismore Showgrounds that will be at the centre of the theatre company’s activity for 2023 ... “It is important for the NORPA Makers Hub to be in Lismore": NORPA’s Artistic Director Julian Louis.

A Charles Sturt University academic has led multiple research projects that have produced new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that will save lives, homes and livelihoods by reducing bushfires. The research was conducted between 2018 and 2022 and can assist in fire management and reduction, including disaster management for a range of natural disasters and events related to climate change.

Hayley Talbot. Renbukan Karate Dojo has operated for over 50 years in the Clarence Valley with several of the original instructors still training hard and instructing each week ... Many hundreds of Clarence Valley men, women and children have trained Renbukan Karate on the Lower Clarence since the 70s with 7th Dan Shihan Ross Roberts and his stable of 5th, 4th, 2nd and 1st Dan black belts and students.

Not even the 6.5 tonne of downwash could wipe the exuberant smiles off the faces of staff and students at Grafton Public School last week when the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter touched down in the playground on February 27. The visit was organised through Westpac’s Schools Program, which promotes safety and education through interactive experiences with the helicopter and its crew members.