More than 50 people attended the first Parkes Higher Education Forum in the Coventry Room at Parkes on Thursday 16 December including Mayor Cr Ken Keith, independent local MP Dawn Fardell, representatives from the local high school, business and industry.

 

The Higher Education Forum was organised to introduce the new Parkes University Study Centre project which is a joint initiative between Parkes Shire Council, TAFE NSW Western Institute and Charles Sturt University (CSU). The initiative aims to develop exciting opportunities for higher education for Parkes and the Central West. It also seeks to address the strategic objective of developing lifelong learning opportunities, as stated in the 2010 Parkes Shire Council Community Plan.

 

Mayor Cr Ken Keith gave a brief history of the project and described 28 May 2010, the day the Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Parkes Shire Council, TAFE NSW Western Institute and CSU, as a "red letter day for Parkes". Mayor Keith thanked business and industry for their support for the project so far but pointed out that success will ultimately depend on student numbers, and this would require commitment from the whole community.

 

Dawn Fardell MP spoke about the fact that we should "never stop learning in life" and that the new Parkes University Study Centre was an opportunity that should be "grabbed with both hands" by the community.

 

Head Teacher Business, Arts & Information Technology Parkes, Forbes and Condobolin - Jenny Kingham, TAFE Western Institute, carried on the theme of life-long learning and spoke about using TAFE as a pathway to university. Ms Kingham also spoke about the advantages of traineeships for employers.

 

Mr Allen Gavin, Manager of VET Agreements at CSU, said the Parkes University Study Centre "gives people options and removes barriers to study". Mr Gavin went on to discuss the possible courses that may run at the Parkes TAFE campus, but emphasised that the project would only work if "there was strong community, industry and business involvement as courses are reliant on student numbers".

 

Mr Gavin also spoke about the different ways of studying a CSU degree through TAFE.

CSU and TAFE currently have a number of Pathway Programs, which combine TAFE and university study. At the end of a Pathway Program, students graduate with a number of nationally recognised qualifications.

The Parkes University Study Centre is to have courses available by the middle of next year.