Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey said local students could live at home and work locally while also studying a tertiary qualification at a new Regional University Centre to be established in Kadina.
Mr Ramsey welcomed the Coalition Government’s commitment to tertiary education in the region and said the centre would boost opportunities for local students to gain skills and qualifications.
“The Yorke Peninsula is on track to support 100,000 people over the next two decades, and the Copper Coast Council Regional University Centre will attract new students looking to enter current and emerging industries,” he said.
“Regional University Centres provide study spaces, academic support, video conferencing and other support for students studying via distance at partner universities.
“In Port Pirie the regional uni has been operating for 18 months very successfully and in Port Augusta the facility has been operating for about six months.
“This centre, as the Port Pirie and Port Augusta sites have done, opens up more opportunities for people in our region to study than ever before, without having to leave their local community and support networks.
“The new facility will have links and will have some shared services and staff with Port Pirie and Port Augusta.
“This is a great opportunity for young people who don’t want to leave their home community and older people who are looking to upskill and enter the workplace in a professional capacity.”
Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the Kadina Centre was one of nine new centres being established across regional Australia under the Coalition Government’s $53.2 million Regional University Centres program.
“Our Government made a commitment at the last election to establish more Regional University Centres as part of our plan to better support education in regional Australia,”
Mr Tehan said.
“We are keeping our promise to regional Australia by delivering nine new centres. We believe every Australian, no matter where they live, should be able to attend university.
“Our Government is putting regional and rural students at the centre of our focus.
“Since 2016, we have invested more than $600 million to improve support for regional and remote higher education.”
More information about the Regional University Centres is at https://www.dese.gov.au/regional-university-centres.
