Community Colleges Australia (CCA) has warmly welcomed the NSW Government’s commitment to community college funding in 2017/18.
NSW colleges received notifications earlier this week of four separate programs:
- the Adult and Community Education (ACE) “Community Service Obligation (CSO) program, with a small increase in allocations from 2016/17;
- a new “Tech Savvy for Small Business” program that will “deliver targeted short workshops based on understanding and implementing current technology requirements for small business”;
- a “Thin Market Support” program that supports five outer regional and remote colleges; and
- a technology and professional development program.
The “Tech Savvy for Small Business” program has been set up to work with small businesses that have 20 employees or less, or an annual turnover of less than $2,000,000.
The five colleges that have been offered “thin market” support are Community College Northern Inland, which has centres in Barraba, Bingara, Gunnedah, Inverell, Moree, Narrabri and Warialda; New England Community College (NECC), with centres in Guyra, Uralla, Walcha, Glen Innes and Armidale; Western College, Dubbo; Western Riverina Community College, Griffith; and Robinson Education Centre, Broken Hill.
“CCA is thrilled about the increase in support for NSW community colleges,” said Dr Don Perlgut, CEO of Community Colleges Australia.
“We are especially happy that the NSW Government has acknowledged the unique challenges faced by outer regional and remote colleges, as well as their ability to deliver important training to some of the least accessible parts of the state. This support follows on from CCA’s report in February 2017 on the role that community colleges play in Australian regional and rural development,” said Dr Perlgut.
“This investment in regional and rural community education provides a model for all governments of Australia,” Dr Perlgut said.
