Community
8 April, 2024
July opening for study hub
A REGIONAL university study hub is to open at Innisfail. Innisfail is among 10 new regional university study hubs across Australia, after a $16 million investment from the federal government aimed at providing more students from small towns access to tertiary education.
The hub, expected to open in July, will be operated by Vocational Partnerships Group (VPG). Chief executive Maryanne Tranter said with the establishment of the study hub “locals will have the opportunity to pursue their higher education dreams confidently, knowing that they have the support and resources readily available to help them achieve their academic goals.”
She said it was important to extend educational opportunities to regional communities.
“Access to education shouldn’t come with a relocation price tag. People living in regional and rural communities deserve quality education opportunities like this, enabling them to reach their full potential without uprooting their lives or extensive travel to pursue their studies,” Ms Tranter said. “By providing accessible higher education opportunities right here in Innisfail, we can nurture our local talent and encourage them to stay and contribute to the growth and prosperity of our region,” she said.
VPG previously established the Tablelands University Centre (TUC) in 2023, which has witnessed strong student engagement and success.
“In just 12 months since opening our doors at the TUC, we have seen incredible results working with over 100 local students. Now, the opportunity to extend this success for Cassowary Coast locals is just phenomenal,” said Ms Tranter.
Cassowary Coast Mayor Teresa Millwood said supporting youth services and facilities was a priority identified by the community in the 2022 Cassowary Coast community scorecard, “so this is a great step forward in delivering on our region’s aspirations”.
“We thank VPG for leading the successful funding application and the youth advisory committee for their initiative in bringing a regional university study hub to Innisfail, she said.
CCRC youth advisory committee member, local Innisfail teacher and university student Tamara Gillard (above, left) said collaborative learning environments and equal access to higher education was important.
“I know how difficult it is to navigate just logging into a university portal and selecting subjects and all of those initial steps which is really isolating. So I think that having a team of people who can support with that and other students where they can go through those experiences together will be really useful,” she said. “This regional university study hub is a really powerful way to allow more young people on the Cassowary Coast to pursue tertiary education because clearly there are many, many capable people here.”
