RAC members were valued co-designers of the Regionalisation Ambition 2032 and are champions for pledging actions showing tangible support to the 20 targets set out within the Ambition.
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has committed to support two key jobs and skills initiatives.
Offering eight Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Program placements for La Trobe University students at the Bendigo Campus will help students enhance their digital skills and gain employment opportunities in rural and regional Australia.
The WIL Program is run in partnership with the IT Department at La Trobe University and provides real-world workplace experience. To date, fifty students have been recruited into IT roles with the Bank, and four students have secured IT roles after their work experience this year.
$700,000 was to be invested to create 200 scholarships through the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, Bendigo Bank, Rural Bank and Community Bank Scholarship program.
However, the Bank, in conjunction with its Community Bank partners and Community Enterprise Foundation (CEF), has awarded 200 first-time students with more than $1 million in support as part of its expanded 2023 Scholarship Program. This has exceeded their pledged support of the
Ambition, enabling new opportunities for 200 future regional workers, leaders, and changemakers.
Both these pledges will be delivered over the next two years.
Committed to supporting young Australians, particularly in the regions the Bank serves, the organisation proactively supports the Ambition’s Jobs and Skills pillar by helping young rural and regional Australians access higher education and training opportunities and increasing skilled work opportunities in our regions.
Initiatives such as Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s pledges mean more than simply funding support for a young regional Aussie. It means breaking inequities in accessing tertiary education. It means maintaining a connection to regional Australia. It means unlocking talent and potential in our young workers, contributing to future productivity and economic growth.
The importance of building skills, capacity and capability in our regional communities cannot be understated.
A small action, that might change the trajectory of one young person’s life, can make a big impact.
So, what’s your pledge for regional Australia?
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