A project to help Charles Sturt University (CSU) students build specialist capacity in small rural towns across Australia will be expanded in 2013 to new communities and professions.

 

In 2012, CSU participated in a pilot project in collaboration with the federal Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), NSW Department of Education and Communities (DEC) and the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) to place 12 second, third and fourth year students enrolled in the University’s speech pathology course http://www.csu.edu.au/courses/undergraduate/speech_pathology/course-overview  to work in small towns in southern and central NSW.

 

Ms Lisa Steel was placed in Corowa on the NSW-Victorian border to help build capacity in response to community needs. “I have lived my entire life in a small regional town with a population of 1 200. I have experienced firsthand the difficulties that people encounter in accessing specialist skills and knowledge. This is extremely frustrating as my community has an aging population.

 

“It is extremely disappointing that people like my grandparents have to travel over an hour and a half to seek care. I want to help change this situation by building the knowledge and skills of our community to help address at least some of my grandparents’ needs.”

 

Third year student Ms Claudia Westcott noted that the Specialist Integrated Community Engagement placement initiative – or SpICE - focused on building the capacity of local communities to deal with problems, which takes pressure off existing waiting lists for services.

 

“We worked with organisations such as schools, health and welfare services across the Parkes community to identify community needs, such as poor language skills among pre-school children. We then developed sustainable resources that addressed the need and then educated the teachers, care workers and parents about what we had done and why. This meant they could do the same in the future. For example, we produced a number of picture books,” Ms Westcott said.

 

Ms Steel agreed the program was a great introduction to public health promotion and prevention. She stressed the importance of building the capacity of communities to solve problems for themselves, instead of the usual focus of trying to solve a particular problem for an individual.

 

Ms Sian Draffin, a fourth year student placed in Griffith, said, “By having the SpICE experience last year, I am now not afraid to build something similar into my own work. I know I may not be able to show improved outcomes in the short-term, but the community will be empowered and see the difference in the long-term. I’ve also seen the value and importance of working alongside other professionals.”.

 

The 2012 SpICE placements offered participating students a new view of working in rural Australia. “After spending a lot of time talking to other students and participating in many rural and remote activities, I am seriously reconsidering my future employment direction. I acknowledge the demand for specialist skills throughout rural Australia and am determined to learn more and to try to make a difference in this area,” said Ms Amy Hoitink, a third year student who took part in last year’s project in Corowa.

 

Dr Ruth Beecham, Charles Sturt University’s SpICE coordinator, said the project is now ready to expand across more CSU professional and vocational degree programs, as well as into more towns across southern and central NSW, including more remote communities.

 

“SpICE includes all relevant parts of a community in a partnership that uses students in collaboration with communities to develop skills in the rural workforce to reduce the unnecessary and unfair disadvantage faced by rural, remote and Indigenous families,” Dr Beecham said.

 

“Communities have expressed the need for capacity development across areas as diverse as business, the environment, education, welfare and health. The University is gradually increasing student numbers to assist in these areas during 2013 and beyond.

 

“SpICE fits neatly into Charles Sturt University’s current strategic plan which emphasises regional engagement and inclusion of Indigenous Australian content into its education of all students,” she said.

 

FaHCSIA, DEC and MLHD have also dedicated people and resources to promote and expand the project in 2013 and into the future.