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Brolga in the Media
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Here's some of our Brolga Media, what we've said, and what others have said about us...!
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MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Grandma’s advice is all practical…
QUT Student James Allan wasn’t expecting a call from his girlfriend’s Grandmother, encouraging him to apply to the Brolga Project and in the process to visit and stay with her in Port Macquarie.
In fact, he’d never heard of the program which is designed to help redress the regional skills gap, but that didn’t stop him completing an Expression of Interest for some practical experience. ...read more
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MEDIA RELEASE
5 April, 2013
A fresh face the key to innovation.
Marketing student Sybil Shen has been working with Grant Burtenshaw of the Edmund Barton Centre, an initiative designed to support the growth of small local businesses.
When asked to describe the purpose of The Edmund Barton Centre it is Sybil that answers, demonstrating the enthusiasm she has gained for the Project within the last few days. ...read more
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MEDIA RELEASE
3 April 2013
Hatching plans for a new design
From every-day chicken egg farmers to successful inventors, Evan and Daniel O’Brien of the Chicken Caravan company have taken on board UNSW Engineering student Sonny Sutanto, to help create a more efficient approach.
This innovative trio was connected though The Brolga Project, an independent initiative created to increase a capacity in rural Australia by readdressing the regional skills gap.
“Right now my project is to re-design the fit trailer using computer software, based on the current model,” Sonny explains. ...read more
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MEDIA RELEASE
5 March, 2013
Hitting the ground running.
It’s no secret that the university students who apply to the Brolga Project are outstanding young professionals prepared to step outside their comfort zone.
And Bachelor of Accounting student from Central Queensland University, Mr Asad Ali is an excellent example of that quality. ...read more
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MEDIA RELEASE
02 March 2013
Process Record tumbles
Records fell after Jack Kafoa and Paul Gallagher held their ‘Brolga Project’ teleconference.
Jack, who’s studying for a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at Griffith University, had completed an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Brolga Project in November. ...read more
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MEDIA RELEASE
Friday,22 February 2013
$25,000 grant + 100% assignment = Brolga Project building strength by default
The Brolga Project has opportunities within its program which go way beyond the scope of a ‘tertiary work placement’.Two of them have been proved over the Christmas break by University of Newcastle’s Mick Lambley, who’s been doing an engineering placement in Kempsey Shire Council. ...read more
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MEDIA RELEASE
Friday, 8 February 2013
CSU’s Dr Durur welcomes local appointment to work placement project
The Mid North Coast Work Tertiary Work Placement Program continues to grow, with the appointment of Camden Haven’s Miss Susanne Ech to the role of Assistant Project Officer.
In her role as Chair of the Steering Committee for the tertiary work placement program, Charles Sturt University’s Port Macquarie Campus Director, Dr Muyesser Durur welcomed the appointment and drew special attention to Susanne’s qualities. ...read more
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PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
University placement offers fresh ideas to improve efficiency at Holiday Coast Credit Union
HCCU have joined the Mid North Coast Tertiary Work Placement Program along with other businesses and organisations in the region.
Donghyo (Frank) Moon, is a second year Commerce student from the University of Sydney and is currently working on two projects to improve the efficiency of reporting and processing in HCCU branches. ...read more
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PRESS RELEASE
Friday, 25 January 2013
Student placement provides new-generation thinking for Aged Care funding restructure
In 2014 the provision of Aged Care is destined to change, it will contrast significantly with existing processes and Wauchope’s Bundaleer Care Services are taking early steps to ensure the change flows smoothly.
Three times Dux of his high school, now scholarship holder at the University of Sydney, Bachelor of Commerce student Mr Vu Nguyen is on a work placement with Bundaleer to research and develop ideas put forward by Management, as well as offer his own thoughts ...read more
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PRESS RELEASE
Thusday, 17 January 2013
Frontline support for regional workforce
Bale Defence Industries in Port Macquarie are hosting their second tertiary placement student in 12 months through the Brolga Project, a program designed to help redress the regional skills shortage.
Their student from the University of Technology, David Spence (pictured far left) is also a state representative hockey player, so the ability to ‘think on his feet’ has helped him slot well into the business in his first few days.
The father-son team of Bob and Link Bale (centre and far right) are passionate in their enthusiasm for helping young engineers with their studies and about career opportunities in regional centres. ...read more
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"Jobs for the bush" (Prime News story Tuesday 15 January, 2013) (see video)
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PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday 15 January 2013
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council leads innovative skills-redressing program
The support of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, local organisations and businesses is driving a program attracting young professionals to regional careers.
The key theme of the Mid North Coast Tertiary Work Placement Program is to offer university students the opportunity to participate in a short-term, project-focused work placement with an MNC business, illustrating the excellent lifestyle and career opportunities available in regional centres and encouraging students towards a regional career when they graduate. ...read more
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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, 09 January 2013
12 young professionals, 10 Local businesses, but more needed for pilot program
The Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber is the latest of 10 local businesses to participate in a tertiary work placement program being piloted on the Mid North Coast.
Over a dozen students are involved in the program which offers them a sample of regional work and lifestyle opportunities, designed to encourage the students to adopt a regional career when they graduate.
The students are an equivalent mix of local, Australian and International students from a range of universities, with all seeing the opportunity to get some practical work as a tremendous part of their studies.(...read more)
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Mick earns his place on the team (The Macleay Argus, Jan 4, 2013.) (...see story)
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Please click here to view the sixth edition of Brolga Project's newsletter
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PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Macksville is the latest Mid North Coast community to play host to a program redressing the regional professional skills shortage.
The Mid North Coast Tertiary Work Placement Program (MNC TWPP) is designed to introduce tertiary students to regional career and lifestyle opportunities through a work placement prior to graduation, attracting them towards a regional career. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Kempsey community hosting second Brolga Project placement 
Kempsey is hosting another Brolga Project placement these Christmas Holidays with a local engineering student doing his practical placement with the Council.
It follows a placement in July with an international student and the Kempsey Macleay RSL Sub-branch, now University of Newcastle student Mick Lambley has described his first week on the job as “Fantastic!”. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Local, global and multilingual - professional youth offer MNC businesses terrific talent
Four countries of origin and three spoken languages around a dinner table at a Flynn’s Beach restaurant broke new ground for the Mid North Coast Tertiary Work Placement Program.
Poco Loco Restaurant was the venue which saw Spanish-speaking postgraduate Mr Andrés Correa, from Colombia, chatting with Camden Haven’s fluent French-speaking Susanne Ech, over a dinner designed to start providing support networks for out-of town students. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, 6 December 2012
Heaps of home-grown tertiary talent looking for local work
The adage ‘all the youths are leaving the country’ is far from reality, according to the manager of a Mid North Coast tertiary work placement program.
Working with the support of a locally-based steering committee, (pictured right) Program manager Mr Richard Cowley said he has had over 120 applications from tertiary students looking for regional project work or careers over the last two months. (...read more)
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Brolga Project really has wings (The Northern Daily Leader, Dec 6, 2012) ...read story
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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, 3 December 2012
Moree's Brolga Project experience a win-win-win
Working with the national Brolga Project, Moree Plains Shire Council (MPSC) has been taking a hands-on approach to redressing the professional skills gap in regional Australia and is urging Northern Inland NSW employers to follow its example. Through the Brolga Project, Sophie Boyce (pictured far right), a student of Social Science (Psychology/HR) at Charles Stuart University has just concluded a four-week paid work placement within the Moree Council's award winning Human Resource department. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Job Opportunities in Rural and Regional Australia
The Brolga Project is an initiative that strives to redress the rural and regional skills shortage by introducing young professionals into the excellent quality of life and work in regional communities. This process is done through a work placement program by encouraging students to take up a career in regional Australia after their work placement. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Brolga Project launches searchable list to help redress professional regional skills shortage.
The regional professional skills shortage is a step closer to being redressed today with the launch of a searchable database of university graduates looking for regional careers.
The Brolga Project is an initiative striving to help redress the regional skills gap and has posted on its website a downloadable list of recent tertiary graduates who are looking to the regions in search of better lifestyle and career opportunities, and who’ve applied in the last two months. (...read more)------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Jobs and Skills Expo brings job opportunities to Taree’s industry
The Australian Government Jobs and Skills Expo is part of the Australian Government’s ‘Building Australia’s Future Workforce’ package to support Australian industry and jobs.
A total of 56 Exhibitors took part in the event which was held in Taree PCYC on November 7th. With more than 305 advertised job opportunities, the expo received 1250 attendees and placed approximately 151 job seekers who will receive training before they start on their new-found jobs. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, 2 November 2012
Brolga Project initiates Road Trips in Mid North Coast
Brolga Project facilitated its first ‘Brolga Internship Connections Road Trips’ in October.Rebecca Mann, one of Brolga Project’s success stories and a recent graduate in Business Event Management at Southern Cross University, assisted with the organisation of the road trip. (...read more)
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Look at what the Great Lakes Advocate has to say about The Brolga Project here
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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, 15 October 2012
Brolga Project celebrates Tastings on Hastings
The Brolga Project was delighted to participate in Sunday’s Tastings on Hastings Festival, volunteering and using the chance to get involved with the local community.
Since been awarded funding in June, Tastings on Hastings is the first large-scale local community event The Brolga Project’s been involved in. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, 20 September 2012
The Brolga Project welcomes new IT Project Managers
Since July the Brolga Project has been working closely with two outstanding IT students, Zeng Hoong Lim (Ben) and Adwitya Nugrahawati (Tya), who have agreed to come on board as student IT Project Managers.
Ben and Tya have been brilliant in their delivery of top-notch quality work to our host agencies and we’re very pleased with their professionalism and positive outlook,” said Project Manager Mr Richard Cowley. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Friday, 7 September 2012
Brolga Project participates in RACQ Careflight Live Demonstration Event
Brolga Project was invited to RACQ Careflight’s first business breakfast at Aviation Australia, Brisbane International Airport where lifesaving work performed by Careflight Rescue including a live demonstration of Helicopter Underwater Escape Training was showcased for all the participants present.
RACQ Careflight is a not-for-profit community rescue helicopter service supporting the communities of southern Queensland. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Brolga Project participates in UNSW Employer and Alumni Panel Discussion
The University of New South Wales has launched a new course 'Diploma of Professional Practice' and The Brolga Project was invited to be part of this exciting panel session to share the benefits and opportunities past students received working in regional centres.
The course is aimed at preparing students for the workplace and Brolga Project’s Strategic Development and Finance Officer Ms Lorena Ocrospoma (pictured right) said it had been a great opportunity to share the benefits and experience of rural and regional areas work placements. (...read more)
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Read what Rob Oakeshott MP Federal Member for Lyne wrote about the Brolga Project, 26 July 2012 (... full story)
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PRESS RELEASE
Friday, 20 July 2012
Local Success and information session for Regional Capacity Building Program 
Hailing from Western Australia, Phoebe Tong is a Masters of Accounting student from the University of Sydney, who is completing her compulsory six-week practical study component with Holiday Coast Credit Union in Wauchope.
Phoebe (pictured with HCCU CEO Mr Neville Parsons) is an early participant in the Mid North Coast Work Placement Program, (MNCWPP) an initiative striving to place university students into rural and regional businesses for work experience, encouraging these young professionals towards a regional career when they graduate. (...read more)
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Read about the continued support the Brolga Project has received from Port Macquarie-Hastings Council through the Work Placement Program, 18 July 2012 (... full story)
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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, 18 June 2012
Brolga Project establishes its first regional office
The Brolga Project is continuing its strong growth, establishing an inaugural regional office after funding was approved for a Mid North Coast Work Placement Program.
Formerly operating from a Brisbane-based home office, the Brolga Project will now operate out of
the New South Wales Business Chamber premises in Port Macquarie. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, 5 April 2012
“Braking The Cycle” paves the way for learner licenses
The official launch of “Braking The Cycle” at Logan PCYC opens up new windows of opportunities for disadvantaged
youths.
“We hope that this program will empower young people to break the cycle of welfare, unemployment and anti-social behaviours, thereby reducing the burden on our communities of crime and young people being involved in serious traffic crash incidents,” says Mr Lachlan Sherrington, PCYC Business Development Manager. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, 2 April 2012
Brolga Project welcomes first IT student team
A group of five IT students from the Queensland University of Technology are assisting Brolga Project as part of their compulsory work attachment course that requires them to fulfil at least 100 work hours and complete their basic scheduled tasks within a semester.
This group of IT students (pictured right) are working to create a searchable database to allow host agencies to search for students they would like to engage. This development aims to streamline the organisation’s process better to significantly increase placement numbers and retention rates. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Brolga Project offers ‘real-world’ experiences
Dr Tony Sahama, Senior Lecturer of Information Security of Electrical Engineering 
and Computer Science in QUT is working with the Brolga Project to provide students with ‘real-world’ work experience.
Founded in 2008, the Brolga Project is an initiative introducing students into career opportunities through work experience, with the goal of encouraging students into rural and regional careers with their host agencies after graduation. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday, 24 April 2011
Peer-to-peer mentoring introduces Brolga Project Ambassadors
The Brolga Project’s recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding is opening new opportunities and benefits to students, urban-based non-profit organisations, regional businesses and the project alike.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sees a team of four IT students developing a software package for the Logan and Ipswich branch of the PCYC. It will facilitate an administrator linking Learner Drivers without access to a car or mentor, to volunteers and vehicles which will give the Learners a chance to accumulate the 100 hours of practice required to obtain a provisional driver’s licence. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, 18 April 2011
South Burnett's a beacon of light for regional rebuilding project. 
Kingaroy is featuring heavily in the Brolga Project, the program designed to redress the regional skills shortage by offering university students work experience, attracting them into a regional career when they graduate.
The latest in a string of placements is Ms Eszter Kiss, a James Cook University student studying a Master of International Tourism and Hospitality Management. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
MOU with Logan PCYC herald’s new opportunities for Brolga Project.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Logan branch of the PCYC paves the way for an exciting new development in the Brolga Project.
But illustrated by the new collaboration with the Logan PCYC, urban-based not-for-profit (NFP) organisations are starting to join the ranks of Host Agencies supporting the Brolga Project. (...full story)
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PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Two placements down, regional career is on student’s radar
Emily Montgomery is a young UQ business student, with double majors in event management
and advertising, who’s twice accepted offers of placement in the Brolga Project.
and advertising, who’s twice accepted offers of placement in the Brolga Project.
With some familiarity of regional Australia, but curious to know more about working life there, Emily approached the project to gain work experience. (...read more)
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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, 6 February 2012
First step in project's restrructure lauded as huge success
Successes in the Brolga Project have led to it taking measures to change to a more dynamic, community-driven non-profit organisation.
“When we started off in 2008, we wanted to ‘test the waters’ and make sure the program was going to work, and we did that under the auspices of a simple Pty Ltd” Mr Cowley said (...full story)
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Christmas 2011 Newsletter: Please click here to download a PDF copy (1.2MB)
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PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Scholarship winning student evokes regional careers
Susanne Ech is a young regional leader who’s looking forward to moving into a summer contract with Regional Development Australia, Ipswich and West Moreton Inc.
Typifying the talent pool that is available to regional Australia, a scholarship winner and about to graduate with a Bachelor Social Science from the University of New South Wales, Susanne (pictured right) is the second student in as many weeks to laud the value of regional work experience and career opportunities available via the Brolga Project....full story
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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, 10 October 2011
Student looks to local career, epitomises local opportunities
Port Macquarie and the Mid North Coast is a ‘Region of Opportunity’, with university students actively facilitated into local work experience and careers when they graduate.
Miss Rebecca Mann, (pictured right) is a classic case of a local student doing local work experience, and she wants to stay in Port Macquarie when she graduates at the end of November...full story
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'Project broadens student horizons' , Central Queensland News, 26 May 2011 ...full story
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Careers Guide, Bond University p. 31 (story by student Raisa Blanco) ...full story
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Queensland Farmers' Federation Weekly Bulletin, 27 April 2011 ...full story
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Press Release
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Stitching up the skills gap, Brolga Project has great start to 2011.
The Brolga Project has kicked off 2011 with four more students starting work experience placements in the regional areas of Moree and Port Macquarie.
Together with the South Burnett area, the regions form what Brolga manager Richard Cowley calls the “three regions of opportunity”, in which The Brolga Project is seeing continued growth. ...full story
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'Rural careers boosted by work experience program', mysunshinecoast.com.au 15 December 2010, ...full story
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Press Release
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Not–for-profit streamlines IT systems via innovative student project.
The Queensland Rural Women’s Network is the latest organisation to benefit from an innovative new project which is striving to put young professionals into regional careers. ...full story
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Press Release
14 December 2010
Rural careers boosted by work experience program
University students are finding new career opportunities in rural and regional Australia thanks to a work experience program touring Queensland.
With the support of a $6500 grant from the Queensland Government, the Brolga Project has so far visited the Burnett and Wide Bay region to develop business support for work placements. ...full story
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'Brolga students making their mark in the Inland Burnett', Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation, 14 September 2010 ...full story
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Press Release
Monday, 9 August 2010
Three key ‘Regions of Opportunity’ add structure to regional development project.
In a major development for the Brolga Project, three key ‘regions of opportunity’ will add new dimensions to its regional engagement.
The South Burnett area in Queensland, and Moree and Port-Macquarie Hastings Councils have come forward as regional areas where there has been significant interest and where the two-year-old project can create strong rapport with clients and placed students.
“First I’d like to make it unequivocally plain,” said project Manager Mr Richard Cowley, “we’re not taking our eyes off the rest of Australia at all, but working strongly within these areas, nurturing our early relationships, we can add more structure in the project.” ...full story
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'Moree Plains Shire Council is committed to working with the Brolga Project...' 30 July 2010 ...full story
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Coober Pedy Regional Times, 'University Students Looking for Outback Work Experience', 16 May 2010 ...full story
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Press Release
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
New manager, new campaign, fresh youth address age-old problem.
New campaign manager Lorena Ocrospoma will hit the ground running as she places over 100 university students in an innovative strategy designed to help redress the age-old issue of rural drift.
While the Brolga Project is a 19-month old initiative looking to build regional capital by offering university students the chance to do work experience with regional businesses, non-government agencies or local councils; ‘Campaign 100’, is a short-term, high-energy program within the project, designed to place at least 100 students for the June/July semester break. ...full story
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Press Release
Friday, 26 March 2010
‘Never been west of anywhere’ student moves into regional career
A new initiative placing urban-based students into regional positions is gaining momentum, with the first of its students now in a regional career.
The Brolga Project is an initiative which offers university students the chance to try life and work in a regional community via work experience, to encourage students to take up a career with a regional business when they’ve completed their studies. ...full story
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Press Release
Friday, 12 March 2010
Brolga Project wins Business Category in Australian Telecommunications Users Awards
The fledgling Brolga Project is proud to be the winner of the 2010 Business Awards for the effective use of Broadband.
The award was presented at a Gala Celebration in Sydney on Thursday, March 11, and founder of the project Mr Richard Cowley was astounded at the win. ...full story
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Press Release
Wednesday, 24 Feb 2010
From Melbourne to Mt Isa – student’s country placement a huge success.
La Trobe university student Ms Katherine Sanchez (right) says getting a country work experience placement through the new Brolga Project provided a phenomenal opportunity.
Katherine is studying Speech Pathology and was astounded at the scope of clinical exposure she received while on placement. ...full story
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'Engaging Queensland's Youth', Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Queensland ...full story
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Is Sampling the Right Way to Attract Rural Workers? (blog) 31 July, 2009 ...full story
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Radio National, Bush Telegraph interview 27 July 2009...full story
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Press Release
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
10 out of 10 for country work experience
University of New South Wales law student Tia Mitsis is giving full marks to her country-life work experience placement.
Tia is an early participant in ‘The Brolga Project’, an initiative placing university students into work experience with rural host agencies, and she has never been so far out in the country.
“I go to the University of New South Wales in Sydney, my parents live in Brisbane, I have never even travelled in the country,” Tia said. ...full story
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Aged Community Association, Volume 10, Issue 8, August 2009 ...full story
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Press Release
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Fresh initiative bridges city/country divide
An initiative offering urban-based university students the opportunity to do work experience with businesses in rural and regional areas is bridging the
city/country divide.
The Brolga Project is an initiative which stares down rural drift by placing final year university students into work experience positions so that urban students can get a taste of life in rural and regional areas, simultaneously lining themselves up with a job after they leave university. ...full story
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