The Border Watch: March 10, 2009

KEEPING THE SOUTH EAST INFORMED SINCE CE 1861

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

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NEWS

March 10th 2009

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SOCIAL SNAP SHOTS

YOUR LOCAL CAR BUYING GUIDE

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INSIDE

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New Nissan 370Z - More agile, more thrills

INSIDE TOMORROW: TV WATCH – SEVEN DAY TELEVISION GUIDE LIFTOUT

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Training shortfall Suzuki unveils small car pioneer • Page 3

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BY JASON WALLACE Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

T E R T I A RY s t u d e n t s i n Mount Gambier have voiced frustration at a lack of course options at the city’s TAFE SA campus and are considering circulating a petition to call for a more diverse selection of training opportunities. They have warned a continued lack of training choices will lead to an exodus of young people from the region. Rebecca Winterfield told The Border Watch she had been studying information technology at the facility until recently when the course she wanted to undertake was not offered locally. “I was forced to study externally, even though I would prefer to attend on campus,” she said. Ms Winterfield said she would be unable to continue studying locally beyond this year as appropriate diplomas were not offered at the local TAFE or university facilities. “If Mount Gambier is to continue to grow into the future and retain skilled professionals it is important to offer many more courses to those that would like to remain in the region and not just in the IT area either,” she said. “Information technology is the way of the future, yet there are limited courses available for us to study.” Ms Winterfield said she was not prepared to leave the region as she had strong

WEATHER

family connections in the area. “I feel that this problem has been long standing as I came up against the same brick wall when studying visual and applied art in 1992 when the diploma was not being offered locally,” she said. “There must be some way that local people can remain in the region to continue their studies.” Limestone Coast TAFE SA regional education manager David Mezinec said the institution worked hard to meet all study needs, but could not always cater for everyone. “There will be times we are not able to meet the needs of all potential students, but if there is a course they can’t do locally I would have thought we could tee it up by external mode,” he said. Mr Mezinec said course selections had to be based on the number of potential students to be economical. “If there are a number of people looking at a certain area we are always interested in following it up,” he said. “We want people to stay in the region and be trained to the highest level possible through TAFE.” Mr Mezinec said additional certificate courses were offered each year, with more than 100 now available oncampus in Mount Gambier, in addition to many external study options. He said he hoped the number of diplomas offered on-campus in Mount Gambier could also be increased from the current 10, with expectations the higher-level qualifications

would help attract international students. Mr Mezinec said the campus had been creative in its delivery approach, finding ways to meet course demands through use of video conferencing, web-based courses and correspondence when they could not be provided on-campus. He said modern methods of course delivery were also becoming more popular due to technological change and increased study by workers. “TAFE SA can deliver anywhere, anytime now and if there is a need we can usually service it through that approach,” he said, adding enrolments had climbed to 5263 last year. However, Mount Gambier 25-year-old Robert Stewart said the lack of TAFE courses and high costs associated with university was still holding him back from employment opportunities. “I’ve been trying to get into courses I want to do for years and they are either not available or you have to travel to another area to do them,” he said. “For regional people to get good jobs, that is what they face.” Mr Stewart said that while a diverse range of courses was offered locally, many interest areas were not met, “especially when you consider we service the broader area from Naracoorte to Kingston where there would be a lot of primary industry needs”. He said he was considering distributing a petition to call for increased opportunities at the city’s TAFE SA campus.

Mount Gambier Today - Fine. Mostly sunny. 26o – full report page 23

pFears have been aired that a lack of some course options at the city’s TAFE SA campus are driving young people away to study elsewhere.

TV GUIDE

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COMICS

Out with the Old, In with the New

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CLASSIFIEDS

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Don’t wait until Winter, get your windows replaced NOW.

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Call your locally owned and operated window replacement specialists on (08) 8725 0733, Display centre 33 Crouch St South, Mount Gambier or visit www.mountglass.com.au

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