NSW LearnScope Blog & Podcast

I’ve been in Cairns for the Framework’s Community Engagement Project showcase event, albeit coughing and spluttering and armed with the (cog)dog flu. It has been a real pleasure to be on the project reference group and back home over a cup of hot lemon and honey I’m pondering what it is that has made Community Engagement one of the Framework’s most successful (but least recognized) projects.

[image: nswlearnscope]

The project is managed by Adult Learning Australia (ALA) and aims to foster and embed e-learning within some of Australia’s most disadvantaged communities and strengthen the foundation of workforce skills, and to support economic and regional development and sustainability by creating close partnerships within training organizations and ACE providers.

This year a further 6 teams were funded nationally making 20 in all over the 3 years of the Project’s life:
VoluntElearning - Community Technology Centres Association, New South Wales
Building online communities in East Gippsland - BACE Inc, Victoria
CultureLink Queensland - Queensland Community Arts Network
E-learning for Natural Resource Management - Queensland Murray-Darling Committee
Supporting e-learning in rural and regional communities - Tasmanian Communities Online
Regional skills for a changing environment - Byron Regional Community College, NSW

What can we learn from these community based projects? Here it is for me…

1.They are wholistic – focusing on learners as people with complex and often disadvantaged lives. There is no quick fix pretense and VET is embedded as a component of an overall plan and program not addressed in isolation
2.They grow out of strong community partnerships driven by movers and shakers with commitment, passion, initiative and creativity. These communities work together to effect change

3.They are there for the sole purpose of meeting the needs of individual learners, their respective communities and the environment. They generally operate on a shoestring

4.They reflect real issues and real solutions in real communities.

5.They are based on the development of solutions around clearly defined local need.

6.They are truly flexible – timing, mode, context, pace, support, certification and so on depend on individual needs.

7. They have legs and are sustainable because they are valued.

Next year the Framework will be focusing in part on business-provider partnerships so my question is – what do we mean by ‘business’? I don’t know about you but for me it conjures up an image of white shirts, suits and attaché cases. Instead I hope we can broaden our thinking to include some of the following:

• Local Council
• Non-profit organizations
• Land Councils
• Small business
• Peak bodies
• Support organisations
• Government departments
• Volunteer groups

Who are your community partners? What are the issues for your local community? How well is your organization set up to respond effectively? How well does your organization address regional and economic development and sustainability? Are you on the right track?