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FRIDAY, September 16, 2022
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GRAND FINALS
P3 Trio in court over staff entitlements
P3
SPORTS SPECTACULAR O&K grand finals previews previe - 16 page liftout out inside
NETBALL
Saturday, Septemberr 17 WJ Findlay Oval, Wangaratta
GRETA VS MILAWA A GRADE 2:45pm
FOOTBALL
BENALLA ALL BLACKS VS BONNIE DOON SENIORS 2:15pm
All on the line for grand final berth
SPORT
DEMAND DROPS Centre Cen re enro enrolments men s have ave decreased ecrease byy 25-30 2 -30 per er cent cen as COVID CO impact m ac lingers ngers
WANGARATTA Centre for Continuing Education (The Centre) is once again facing challenging times with a dramatic downturn in enrolments continuing despite pandemic lockdown restrictions easing. The Centre’s board chair, Carol Nolan, said the lack of enrolments was an issue across the sector.
BY SHANE DOUTHIE sdouthie@ nemedia.com.au
“In its 60 years of serving Wangaratta and other local communities, The Centre has learnt that demand for education goes up and down, and this year is a
time when we are attracting lower than expected numbers of learners and clients,” Ms Nolan said. “We are experiencing a similar downturn to other educational providers in our sector, which has been compounded by the impacts of COVID restrictions and lockdowns over the past two years.
“There has only been a small increase in enrolments now that restrictions have ended. “Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to attract the required numbers of learners and clients.” Ms Nolan said enrolments in certificate courses at The Centre, for people who pay the full fee, are more
than 30 per cent less than expected. Similarly, there are 25 per cent fewer enrolments for ACFE funded courses, which focus on adult learners who are seeking to prepare for study or work. “As a result, our income has fallen; the board and management have already put in place a series of
measures to combat these challenging circumstances,” she said. “The board and leadership of The Centre are exploring additional measures to manage the downturn, including opportunities to increase our income as well as other short-term relief. ■ Continued page 2
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