the brolga project - powerpoint presentation

The Brolga Project®

The Brolga Project® The Brolga Project®

Terms we use:

‘Student’ – anyone studying at university, mostly we deal with final year or post/graduate students (Reason - they’re a little older, committed to their study, some are even mature age looking to move to a regional area if their ‘work experience’ is successful)

Work Experience – can be paid or unpaid as an assessable part of a curriculum, or just because students want to get something on their CV. But it must be legitimate, in line with student’s studies, we don’t provide fruit-pickers, waiters, etc.

Host Agencies – where we send the students – can be a business, non-profit organisation or government agency .

Rural and Regional – roughly speaking, anywhere outside major capital cities.

Placements – range from a couple of days to three months, or may be a probation period, it depends on what a host agency can offer and a student can do.


There’s a huge skills shortage in rural and regional

Australia.

University students

often have to do work experience as part of

their study.

By identifying students needing work

experience, and regional businesses looking for staff, The Brolga Project links the two together in a

dynamic initiative designed to help

redress the regional skills shortage.


Students are very, very enthusiastic about the concept, and come on board at more than one a day; they represent more than 40 different disciplines. We have a solid working relationship with about 24 universities but sadly can’t find enough places to send most of our students. The pool of graduating students is about 250,000 annually.


To encourage young people from (mostly) urban backgrounds to do their work experience with rural and regional host agencies, encouraging students towards regional careers when they graduate.

Many students will enjoy their regional work experience enough to return to the placement business at the end of their study, starting their career in a regional community.


1. Businesses and students complete Expressions of Interest (EOIs) online or at forums such as this

3. Where a potential match is identified, businesses and students dialogue via teleconference

2. EOIs are matched in database by Brolga administration

4. Placement occurs

5. Review of placement

6. Students return to position or regional centre for career



It’s a very simple initiative….But let’s address the question that is usually the first barrier:

Costs! Launched in October 2008, the project has been operating under the auspices of a private

company but is now working with student teams to roll into a non-profit. In time it’s envisaged the project will be funded by an equal mix of user-pays, government support and corporate sponsorship, reflecting demands and opportunities of the project

There is a $200 (+GST) administration fee (user-pays) for placing a student: For some businesses, that will be the extent of costs (other than normal operating expenses), but some students are going to need support. Even considering top level support, it’s still very…

Cost Effective!


Paid Positions

Are for longer placements (1-4 months)

Students must be recompensed in line with all legal obligations (i.e. normal wage rates)

Offers students more chance to socialise in local community

Have less emphasis on paperwork and reporting

Evolve to more independence by the student

Unpaid Positions

Are usually for very short-term placements (1-4 weeks)

Students will still have to meet financial obligations in home city (e.g. rent) so some recompense will encourage them to travel

Travel costs may be expensive, again a contribution by host agency should be considered

May be more intensive, but also more suitable e.g. a community organisation wanting to have an IT person to set up a network


For Students Easy access to work

experience An opportunity to secure a

job before leaving university A chance to analyze theory

against practice An opportunity to work with

potential employers and experience the regional/rural lifestyle

Rewarding lifestyle and career development

For Businesses Access to an enormous pool

of potential employees Opportunity to use students

for short-term (nurturing/training) leading to future employment

A chance to practice current work systems against new theories

A chance to try out potential employees

Cost effective method of expansion


Sydney: Miss Lorena Ocrospoma, Strategic Development Officer, has a career which has spanned working with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, through economic and finance consulting to training women to act as leaders for their community. She’s represented Peru in international forums and has a Bachelor Degree in Economics, a Diploma in Finances and Business Management and a Masters Degree in Planning for Social Development (UQ).

Brisbane – looking to move back to regional centre: Mr Richard Cowley, Project Founder and Manager was born in Cunnamulla and grew up on family sheep and cattle properties; worked largely in the beef industry from stock camps in the NT, managed the Cattlemen’s Union Toowoomba Office before going to USQ and completing an MBA (Marketing) and BA (Journalism and International Relations) USQ, 2004.

The project currently operates from two home-based offices, Brisbane and Sydney, with Brisbane looking to move to a regional centre ASAP.



• Accounting• Agricultural Science• Animal Science• Applied Science - Food Industry• Biotechnology• Botany• Commerce• Cost Estimation• Data Analysis• Economics• Education• Engineering - Aerospace• Engineering - Automotive• Engineering - Chemical• Engineering - Civil• Engineering - Electrical• Engineering - Environmental• Engineering - Mechanical• Engineering - Mining• Engineering - Telecommunication• Environmental Management• Event Management• Finance• Food Science and Nutrition

• Health Promotion• Health Science• Horticulture• Human Movement/Sport Science• Human Resources• Information Technology• International Business• International Relations• International Trade• Journalism• Land Management• Law• Marine Science• Marketing• Mass communication• Master of Business Administration• Master of Health Science• Master of Human Rights• Mathematical Science• Mechatronics• Museum Studies• Nanotechnology• Nursing• Nutrition and Dietics

• Pharmacy• Population Health• Public Relations• Regional Resource Management• Science - Biomedical• Science - Environmental• Science - Marine• Science - Psychological• Social/Community Work• Sonographer• Speech Pathology• Sports and Event Management• Sports Marketing• Supply Chain Management• Teaching• Tourism• Urban Development• Urban Planning• Vet Science• Youth Work• Zoology



Range of student ages – some students are ‘mature-age’ with their own career experiences behind them, looking to move their entire families to a regional centre.

A marketing student could be placed into an organic farming group to research new markets or revise/develop marketing plans.

An Information Technology student could volunteer/work with a local business to review a local community organisation’s computer network or address IT problems.

An accounting student could work with a family business to assist tax/accounting matters.

There are about 250,000 graduating students in Australia every year – rural and regional businesses have access to this pool.


Willray Pty Ltd (ABN 180 7575 5118 ) T/a The Brolga Project®, PO Box 219, Ashgrove QLD Australia. Phone 07 3366 10005 Fax 07 3366 1709 Email [email protected] Web www.brolgaproject.com.au


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.brolgaproject.com.au/

the brolga project - powerpoint presentation

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