$8.6 million for local universities

Member for Fraser Bob McMullan, Member for Canberra Annette Ellis, and ACT Labor Senator Kate Lundy have welcomed Australian Government funding of $8.6 million for the Australian National University and the University of Canberra.                     

The grants are provided through the Diversity and Structural Adjustment Fund and are for four projects:

The Australian National University:

• The Engineering Hubs and Spokes project – an arrangement between ANU and the University of South Australia to enable the University to provide a greater range of engineering courses. This will be supported by a national engineering placement program and an integrated graduate development program meshed to industry needs to fast track graduates into work.
• The Health Hubs and Spokes project – an arrangement between ANU and the University of South Australia to boost health workforce capacity by providing shared practical placements in medical science and allied health professional disciplines.

The University of Canberra:

• Entry Pathways to Enhance regional Participation – a pilot project to make it easier for people aged 15-24 in Bega, Cooma, Goulburn, Moruya, Ulladulla and Yass to enrol into higher education courses at various campuses within the region.
• Work Integrated Learning: a collaborative model – a strategic and best practice model to ensure students graduate more work-ready and stand out as the preferred candidate. Regional skills shortages will be addressed and continuing professional development requirements will also be addressed through a cross-institutional integrated graduate development program.

“The Diversity and Structural Adjustment Fund provides grants that support greater specialisation among higher education providers, more diversity in the sector and better responsiveness to labour market needs at the local and national level,” Mr McMullan said. 

“This Fund allows higher education providers to diversify, specialise their disciplines, build on existing dual sector activities, create new dual sector activities or enhance learning and teaching performance.”

The 2008 Diversity and Structural Adjustment Fund round is an important part of the Australian Government’s Education Revolution which aims to ensure that Australians have access to a world-class tertiary education and are inspired to achieve excellence through higher education learning and research.

“In the past twelve months the Rudd Government has widened access to and better resourced Australia’s tertiary institutions throughout Australia,” Ms Ellis said.

“As well as phasing out full fee paying degrees for domestic undergraduate students, increasing the number of Commonwealth scholarships, Australian universities have already received $500 million dollars through the Better Universities Renewal Fund.”

Senator Lundy said the new funding showed the Rudd Labor Government’s commitment to higher education.

“The Rudd Labor Government’s Education Revolution is making a significant difference to the quality of education in Australia from kindergarten through to university,” she said.

“These Diversity and Structural Adjustment fund projects are the latest step in providing the highest quality university education for students in Canberra and the surrounding region.”

For more information on the 2008 Diversity and Structural Adjustment Fund round visit www.deewr.gov.au/dsa

Contact: Rachel Allen – 0418 488 295 (Lundy) Tony Hodges – 0408 690 861 (McMullan) Brenton Sloane – 0431 252 698 (Ellis)

Tagged: education