Monday, 12 December 2016
NORTHERN Tablelands MP Adam Marshall says Glen Innes will reap big benefits from the new education digital age with its naming as one of four centres to provide greater access to vocational education and training for students across country NSW.
Mr Marshall has welcomed an announcement from Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Development, Skills and Small Business John Barilaro today to locate one of the first four of a planned 12 sites as part of the TAFE new Connected Learning Centres in the highlands town.
Mr Marshall said Glen Innes would become another centre of education excellence in the tablelands region by providing for TAFE’s new, digitally enabled, next generation learning environments for students in regional NSW.
The first four CLCs will be located in Quirindi, Coonabarabran, Glen Innes and Tenterfield while eight more are to be rolled out across regional NSW next year.
“I’ve been advocating for greater regionalism of government services since my election in 2013 and this is another great win for regional NSW and particularly for this region,” Mr Marshall said.
“It comes off the back of Armidale being named a regional TAFE Digital Education hub only a few weeks ago and is part of the government’s TAFE reforms.
“This is about regional communities being given access to state-of-the-art facilities which people in metropolitan areas may take for granted and which prove my point that government services don’t always need to be located in the big cities; they can deliver efficiently and effectively from regional centres.
“The news that Glen Innes will become one of those Connected Learning Centres is the latest big news for the town already riding a wave of success as a progressive new technology-renewable energy hub which is seeing massive investment in wind farm projects in that area.
“This announcement demonstrates again our commitment to renew TAFE NSW’s teaching and learning facilities so students get hands-on skills for jobs and employers get a job-ready workforce into the future.”
Acting New England Institute director John Michael said the new centres were part of a landmark investment program to renew TAFE NSW’s facilities so students get hands-on skills for jobs and employers get a job-ready workforce into the future.
“Connected Learning Centres are a next generation learning environment for students in regional areas to better access skills for jobs and a range of TAFE NSW services,” Mr Michael said.
“New courses and learning opportunities, a personalised and connected learning experience and better access to teachers both on and off site will give students more accessible, convenient, flexible and mobile education and training for jobs.
“These centres make access to a quality world class education available to communities in regional NSW. They bring jobs and economic growth to these areas and local students, employees and communities will continue benefit from TAFE NSW’s high quality training for jobs.
“Connected Learning Centres have been developed around best practice contemporary approaches to teaching and learning to provide an active learning environment where learning is supported by the physical space, technology and hands-on learning through mobile education units.
“The design also reflects the principles of next generation learning spaces with the components of the centres being adaptive, flexible, multi-purpose and digitally enabled.
Each Connected Learning Centre offers friendly flexible spaces with multiple uses, including for blended training delivery, interactive learning, for study, information and support.
Connected Learning Centres are one of the many ways TAFE NSW will provide high quality, industry relevant training and accessible services where, when and how students and employers want.
Mr Marshall said today’s Glen Innes announcement followed the naming of Armidale on November 22 as the home of the new headquarters for TAFE NSW Digital, providing state-of-the-art learning experiences for TAFE NSW students across the State.
“It proves that technology can trump the tyranny of distance when it comes to digital jobs and learning and while it focuses resources on meeting the meeting the demands of students who want convenient and accessible training anywhere, anytime, it also brings certain economic, financial and social benefits to the regional economy,” Mr Marshall said.