Monitor The
Your Community Newspaper ~ Roxby Downs
www.themonitor.com.au
Phone (08) 8671 2683
Vol. 8 Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Fax (08) 8671 2843
New application hope By Millie Thomas
A
fter failing to meet DEEWR requirements in last year’s application for a local trade-training centre, Kath Macalister and Juliette Demaine resubmitted their interest on October 28. The DEEWR (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations) assessment panel rejected the application for a $3.3 million trade-training centre last year in round 3. The application, both this year and last, was submitted on behalf of the Woomera, Marree and Roxby Downs area schools (aptly named The Desert Trade Training Centre (DESTTC)), and would have provided a range of nationally accredited training, essential for students looking to complete an apprenticeship, traineeship or the like. Training offered would include trade studies in engineering, electro technology, building and construction, civil construction and automotive repair. Roxby Downs Area School Principal Kath Macalister said there were a couple of contributors to last year’s rejection. Inconsistency was shown on two of the memorandum of understandings when they were wrongly dated, as well as operator error during the assessment. “When they printed all the information off for the panel …they only printed the first page of our equipment list and said it would have been nice if you put an equipment list in,” said Ms Macalister. She did say, however, that they were encouraged by the ‘Trade Schools for the Future personnel’, to resubmit again this year. Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication, Ms Macalister and Ms Demaine realised late in the submissions process that their 2011 application, a replica of their 2010 copy, was now outdated and did not meet criteria and format requirements. “It wasn’t what we expected, the process had changed totally,” said Ms Macalister.
“We could not do as we had been told we could do.” She said that the Federal Government had this year asked applicants to demonstrate student disadvantage. “By that they’re not talking about remoteness, it all basically links back to standard of living,” she explained. Using the demographics of Marree, Woomera and Roxby Downs, Ms Macalister and Ms Demaine were able to demonstrate aboriginality and School Card users (an educational financial aid) amongst others. They also claimed remoteness as a major disadvantage, but said it was up to the insight of the assessors to understand. “I don’t actually know that there’s an understanding by the people in the Federal Government, or even people in our own state government at how much of what people may get extra (wages) here, they have to give away in services and travel. “So proving disadvantage isn’t easy, we’ve had a damn good shot at it, we think we’ve got a very good application.” Proving adversity has definitely been a challenge in working against the general perception of Roxby Downs, but having the process supported by BHP Billiton has helped, said Ms Macalister. She said that between the budget set for developing the trade-training centre by DEEWR and BHP Billiton’s pledge of financial support, the construction would be financially achievable. “The fact that BHP Billiton is willing to put up some funds to support the construction costs and also like the last application is willing to promise some sustainability funding, is a really solid indication of the fact that they’re concerned about far more than just satisfying their own industrial needs. “They recognise that the whole town has to be looking at ways to produce this training so that our people can be trained here and go into employment with BHP Billiton and contractors rather than everybody having to come from outside.”
LEFT: Roxby Downs Area School Principal Kath Macalister is hopeful the trade centre application will be successful this year.
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