Community Colleges Australia (CCA) has partnered with Per Capita, a not-for-profit Australian think tank, to research the value of infrastructure investment in adult and community education (ACE) organisations.
Many Australian community education providers received funding from the Commonwealth Government in 2009/10 through the “Investing in Community Education and Training” (ICET) program, part of Commonwealth’s "Teaching and Learning Capital Fund for Vocational Education and Training" (also known as TLCF). Commonwealth Government funding at the time provided $500 million to universities, $200 million to TAFE institutes and $100 million to the community education and training sector.
CCA and Per Capita will soon distribute a short survey to community providers, seeking details on how the funding was used and the long-term educational, economic and social benefits from the infrastructure funding. The responses will be used by CCA and Per Capita to analyse the long-term value that funding created, with the results announced at CCA’s Annual Conference in Melbourne in July of this year.
“Investment in community providers matters. This research will help our sector to build an evidence base that shows how and why infrastructure investment can make a difference. If you are a provider that received funds, please take the time to tell us about your experience,” said Dr Don Perlgut, CEO of Community Colleges Australia.
Emma Dawson, Executive Director of Per Capita added: “Per Capita is delighted to work with Community Colleges Australia to undertake this research. The adult and community education sector makes an important contribution to Australian vocational education and training and to lifelong learning. This research will allow us to demonstrate the economic and social value of investment in ACE for the benefit of all Australians.”
Click here to register for CCA’s Conference – which runs from 25 to 27 July 2017 – and investigates the theme “Community Education: Investing in our Future”.
For more information about this research contact Don Perlgut.
Click here for a copy of the Investing in Community Education and Training funding program guidelines from 2009/10.
