Media releases

Wednesday, 13 May 2009

$38.5 million for education and training in Lingiari

The Northern Territory is set to receive a total of $38.5 million in direct education funding following the release of the Rudd Labor Government Budget.

The Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, member for Lingiari said $7.89 million will be spent on decking out two road trains as mobile trade training facilities to take the schooling straight to the students wherever they are in the NT.

“The Mobile Traditional Trades Training Facility will mean young Territorians who might have the interest in civil, general construction or mining trades, will now also have the opportunity to study it from Certificate II through to IV.

“This $7.89 million initiative is an innovative delivery idea for the vast NT that offers Territorians training in highly employable skills, while also developing tradespeople to alleviate national trade shortages,” said Mr Snowdon.

In addition the Federal Budget provides $30.65 million for the establishment of the Australian Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Education.

“Charles Darwin University and the Batchelor Institute for Indigenous Tertiary Education will jointly deliver the new centre,” Mr Snowdon said.

“It is a collaborative venture on the Casuarina campus of CDU that will focus on improving teaching, learning and research outcomes for Indigenous Australians. It also includes the purchase of two new Mobile Adult Learning Units to facilitate face-to-face instruction out bush.

“Both initiatives illustrate this Government’s ongoing determination to reach and teaching remote and regional Territorians who may not otherwise consider higher education through lack of support, access or resources.”

Federal Budget education initiatives to also benefit the Northern Territory include:

 • $1.6 million will be given to apprentices in selected trade and agricultural occupations and in rural and regional Australia horticultural occupations to purchase the tools they need.

• $434 million over four years to assist students from low socio-economic rural and remote backgrounds into higher education. Universities will receive $108 million over the next four years to develop partnerships with schools and training facilities in remote and rural areas or where communities where it is difficult to reach students who may not have considered higher education.

• $3.1 billion over the next four years to increase student income support and expand eligibility for scholarships. This package includes a ‘Relocation Scholarship’ of $4,000 in the first year of study and $1,000 in later years for those students who must relocate for study.

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Copyright © 2004-5 Warren Snowdon MP. This page was last updated on 25 June 2009.