Iama and NPA reps set sail for future leadership

The 30th Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP) experience kicked off last week, marking three decades of impact across rural, remote and regional Australia.

This year’s potential graduates include Iris Billy from Warraber Island, sponsored by the Torres Strait Regional Authority, and Lorraine Solomon from Umagico, sponsored by the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

ARLF chief executive Matt Linnegar said this year’s course would, for the first time, include a session to be delivered in challenging bushland of the Dharawal people on the NSW south coast that places participants well out of their comfort zone, as well the challenge of sailing a ship as a team, to get there.

“The ARLP remains the longest and most in-depth experiential leadership development program in the country,” he said.

“We are excited about the opportunities the revamped Course 30 design offers for participants and our ARLF partner organisations. “Our experiential learning approach means participants learn by doing, not in classrooms.

“Dharawal country offers a rich environment for learning and where participants will commence with a focus on awareness, authenticity and adaptation.

“Over 15 months, in the most unique learning environments, these leaders will come together to learn and develop their leadership in a collective environment, working together to drive positive change across organisations, industry sectors and rural, regional and remote Australia.”

ARLF chair Rick Sawers welcomed and congratulated the participants for stepping up to lead during challenging times locally, regionally and globally.

“The need for individual and collective leadership, both ‘in Australia’ and ‘for Australia’ is on the rise.

Australians already enjoy strong lifestyle wellbeing metrics - health, education, security and wealth - and we have always delivered business success and innovation well beyond expectations for an economy and population of our size,” he said.

“That’s great and continuing to do that will require significant effort and leadership.

“Yet there are important additional challenges where impactful leadership for rural Australia is required like improving inequity and inequality, climate and energy transition, liveability, innovation and more.

“For 30 years now, the ARLP has been identifying and encouraging individuals to step up to local, regional and global challenges such as these.

“The program will help you discover the leadership capability you may not have recognised in yourself before, help you build on that and will also give you a close personal connection to the ARLP 30 cohort you will be part of and access to a broader alumni network of more than 2500 leaders.

“This will truly set you up to make a real difference in the future through your own leadership, wherever you choose to apply it.”

The ARLF will soon be recruiting the next cohort for ARLP Course 31, with applications open now.

If you’re ready to step up, or know someone who is, visit https://rural-leaders. org.au/australian-ruralleadership-program/ to find out more.

Invitation –community forum

Making vocational education and training better in regional, rural and remote

Tuesday 11 July 2023, 3.30pm - 5.30pm