A proposed Narrabri trades training centre could become a new model for regional delivery of practical training alongside tertiary courses.
The concept was enthusiastically supported by a capacity audience at a meeting in The Crossing Theatre’s Riverside Room on Tuesday night.
A Narrabri group has been working towards establishment of the Narrabri Regional Trades Training Centre which would use Sydney University’s I.A. Watson grains research centre facilities as its base.
The aim is to provide training in Narrabri so young people and older workers don’t have to leave the region for vocational training.
The training, and retention of trained people, preferably local, in regional Australia was vital, speakers at the meeting emphasised.
On Tuesday night, the Dean of the Sydney University faculty of Agriculture, professor Mark Adams, sketched a scenario of practical trades training alongside university courses at Narrabri.
“With the support of industry we can create something at Narrabri as a model for the rest of Australia,” he said.
Narrabri was well placed to launch the initiative, as one of the strongest and fastest growing areas in the country, professor Adams said.
“I agree very much with the concept of a regional centre which puts university courses side by side with practical training,” he told the audience.
“If you want this it will be breaking new ground. There is no off the shelf model, but it is a new and exciting proposition which you will have to work very hard to achieve.”
Prof Adams had been invited to address the meeting called by the working group promoting the proposed Narrabri Regional Training Centre.An audience representing industry and agriculture, university and research establishments, teachers and training providers from throughout the state filled the Riverside Room at The Crossing Theatre to support moves for a regional training centre in Narrabri.
Organisers were pleased that Narrabri High School students were present.
Coordinator of the group, Russell Stewart, invited members of the audience to illustrate the need for regional training from their various perspectives.
The response was loud and clear - young people, their families, industry and farmers, employers across the spectrum want local people to be able to undertake their training, from diploma through to degree, close to home. The message was reinforced by many speakers.
Professor Adams said the next steps were to identify the functions of the centre, the ways to achieve it and how to fund it. He stressed that partnerships were a key to success.
Sydney University’s role at Narrabri had always been very much a partnership with the Wheat Research Foundation (WRF.)
“We all have a debt of gratitude to the WRF for the Sydney University presence in this region,” professor Adams said.
He urged the working group to seek partnerships with industry.
Any future deliberations should involve the WRF, he suggested.
“The facility won’t happen tomorrow, but we can take steps now and start the journey,” he said.
University training, vocational training and registered training providers could all be under the umbrella of a regional training centre.
“We see a cross fertilisation of these elements as a real possibility” professor Adams said.
“We can develop a model which will see a regional training centre where students can interact.
“The universities of the future will have a core facility, like Sydney, and lots of physical locations for students to meet face to face with staff and undertake practical work.
“The idea of a degree course in Sydney today is far away from the degree course of the future.
“As students move through the degree there will be no reason why students can’t do more of their course at a place like Narrabri.
“With the support of industry we can create something at Narrabri as a model for the rest of Australia.”
Professor Adams said Sydney University already had plans to bring more students to Narrabri as part of their studies and to bring much of their teaching here as well.
And Tocal college education officer, Charlie Bell told the audience Tocal had now received funding for the training over two years of 20 students at Narrabri in the cotton industry.
Mr Stewart said the next stage in the journey towards a Narrabri Regional Training Centre would involve ongoing liaison with Sydney University and preparation of a business plan for the project.
“Meanwhile, we encourage people to provide input to the working group as we develop the project,” he said.
Following collection of data it was expected a report on the proposal would be ready in two months.