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Move to support struggling students
By ANTONIA MAIOLO
Thousands of students facing financial difficulty are expected to benefit from a new program of scholarships.
TAFE Directors Australia recently launched the TDA National Scholarships Foundation with the annual Mick Young Scholarships fundraising dinner in Sydney.
‘ Mick’ s Big Night Out’ attracted the support of the NSW governor, professor Marie Bashir, federal and state ministers and MPs, TAFEs, industry skills councils and businesspeople.
The night also celebrated the success of the long-running Mick Young Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students, which will form part of the new foundation. The initiative is part of the effort to promote corporate philanthropy.
Treasurer Wayne Swan( above) formally launched the new foundation, applauding TDA, which is the national peak VET body, on the initiative.
“ Mick’ s memory and passion lives and breathes through these scholarships and, now under the umbrella of the TDA National Scholarships Foundation, it will continue to thrive into the future,” Swan said.
Nicholas Hunt, the foundation chair, described the launch as“ a great moment in the evolution of educational philanthropy”.
Hunt said the new foundation would be a vehicle for a new national charity, assisting students undertaking skills training around Australia.
“ The vocational education and training sector has not always been at the fore when we think about corporate philanthropy for education and skills development.
“ Rather, it has been the schools and
universities which have been more active in attracting support, but I hope that this initiative will help redress that balance.” Martin Riordan, the foundation’ s secretary and CEO of TDA, said given that COAG targets for equity and access to higher qualifications remain at risk, the foundation might help students experiencing financial difficulty complete their course.
Riordan said the federal government’ s 2020 target of having 20 per cent of enrolments at the undergraduate level from a low SES background, is regarded as being at risk.
Currently there are 61 TAFE institutes in Australia – across 1300 campus locations in metropolitan and regional Australia, enrolling 1.7 million students a year. With the agreement between the
Commonwealth, states and territories of a National Partnership Agreement on Skills, and a new entitlement to training to be phased in between 2013-14, the sector expects to see many more students enrolling and seeking access to student loans, across public and private institutes and colleges.
Riordan said the foundation’ s targets would allow for a wider approach, with plans to phase the scholarships across more city, suburban and regional areas.
“ I am quietly confident that the $ 1 million target will be achievable by creating awareness in corporate Australia,” he said.
The previous Mick Young Trust allocated about $ 200,000 a year on average to scholarships for disadvantaged students enrolled at TAFE institutes, with 19 institutes taking part, Riordan said. n
From left: TDA CEO Martin Riordan, TDA deputy chair Diane Murray, NSW Governor Marie Bashir, Mary Young and Nicholas Hunt, the chair of the new foundation
6 | March 2013