Deakin University to Sign MOU with TAFE NSW Riverina Institute and Griffith City Council

Wednesday July 16, 2014

Deakin University will sign a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TAFE NSW Riverina Institute and Griffith City Council on Thursday July 17, 2014, as part of a strategic collaboration to advance higher education opportunities for Riverina residents and research opportunities for business.

The MOU signing will take place during a Riverina Regional Cities meeting of the Mayors of Griffith, Wagga Wagga and Albury to be held in Griffith on July 17, with Wagga and Albury City Councils signing similar agreements. Griffith Mayor John Dal Broi has described the meeting and signing of the MOU by the mayors of the three cities as “a significant and unique occasion.”

In addition to advancing higher education opportunities for Riverina residents, the goals of the partnership include:

• Establishing an education pathway, with guaranteed entry into Deakin in a number of courses, between TAFE NSW Riverina Institute and Deakin University to improve local access to relevant areas of study.
• Undertaking innovative research to enhance the region’s economic development.
• Growing and developing sustainable quality tertiary educational services that increase local access and participation.
• Enhancing digital access to higher education for Riverina students.
• Encouraging innovative project collaboration and educational outcomes between each organisation.

Deakin Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Trevor Day said the University was committed to strengthening the communities it served.

“We know that people who learn in the regions will work in the regions and we believe that this new partnership will help to ensure a stronger and more connected community in which people can live and work in the careers they choose,” Professor Day said.

As the landscape of higher education continues to change rapidly in Australia, it is evident that delivering higher education through technologies such as the internet is increasing.

“Deakin is a global leader in Cloud-based delivery that supports flexible higher education participation by mature-age and undergraduate students,” Professor Day said.

“The pathway programs arranged between Deakin University and TAFE NSW Riverina Institute are well suited to encourage greater participation in higher education by local residents while allowing them to remain local during their studies. Additionally, Deakin is proposing to offer our research capacity to local business.”

TAFE NSW Riverina Institute has a vision to inspire regional prosperity and in partnership with Deakin and Griffith City Council, grow nationally, according to Institute Director Kerry Penton.

“Riverina Institute’s purpose is to build the skills, qualifications and employability of people in regional Australia,” Ms. Penton said.

Mayor John Dal Broi said Griffith City Council is very pleased to enter into a strategic alliance that will provide Riverina residents easier access to tertiary education programs offered by universities of Deakin’s calibre.

“Deakin University offers programs in a range of professions, including engineering, manufacturing, process control and materials technology, which are relevant to the industry base of Griffith. In combination with their distance and internet learning modes, locals can only benefit from broader and easy-to-access higher education opportunities,” Mayor Dal Broi said.

To learn more about Deakin University, please visit http://www.deakin.edu.au/. For more information about TAFE NSW Riverina Institute, visit http://www.rit.tafensw.edu.au/. For inquiries about the MOU or to learn more about Griffith City Council, visit www.griffith.nsw.gov.au or call (02) 6962 8217.