Making it happen: The key to a brighter future in regional Australia

10 October 2007

Enterprising human capital, the ability of people to get things done on the ground and move beyond 'just good ideas', is seen as the key to growth in regional Australia.

The vocational education and training (VET) sector is well placed to help regions turn plans and ideas into action by providing enterprise skills within their courses.

This is the message coming out of a new report by Steve Garlick and colleagues published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) which sought to identify what drives regional economic performance.

The VET sector is ideally placed to develop enterprise skills as its reach in regional areas is better than the higher education sector. VET providers are also embedded within local regional communities so are well equipped to use their connections with business to forge regional partnerships to promote local skill development.

"This research is important because it adds to our knowledge about what enables regional economic performance and challenges traditional theories driving current policy and practice in regional development", says NCVER Managing Director, Dr Tom Karmel.

The research questions the value of the last twenty years of regional development policies and argues that traditional regional growth theories and policies - those built on strong involvement by business and government institutions - are flawed because they fail to take account of global capitalism, how business relationships are conducted and the dynamics of regional economies.

"Competition at national and international levels has intensified, and key metropolitan areas have been the major beneficiaries of recent trends toward globalisation and de-industrialisation", says Dr Karmel.

"The VET sector needs to understand the processes which shape regional economies", he says.

This work is part of a major body of research focused on strengthening regions and building partnerships. The findings from this significant work will be presented at regional forums in Townsville, Geraldton, Newcastle and Geelong in November.

ENDS

An enterprising approach to regional growth by Steve Garlick, Michael Taylor and Paul Plummer has been produced by NCVER on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments with funding provided through the Department of Education, Science and Training. Copies can be accessed from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1801.html.

For further information about NCVER's regional forums Strengthening regions, building partnerships, please visit http://www.ncver.edu.au/newsevents/events/regional/forum.html.

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