BIITE signs historic agreement

An historic agreement signed today between Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education and TAFESA Adelaide South Institute (TASI) will improve learning delivery to CDEP participants of remote Northern Territory and South Australian communities.

Director of Batchelor Institute Adrian Mitchell co-signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TASI Managing Director, Stephan Conway on behalf of the South Australian Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills.

The MOU includes resource sharing, innovative training methods and expertise.

Mr Mitchell acknowledged TASI’s innovation in providing learners with the fundamental literacy and numeracy skills necessary to successfully participate in training.

“Signing the MOU represents a culmination of dedication and commitment of the two Institutes to foster partnership that will increase connection and capacity and enhance educational outcomes for our learners across SA and NT” said Mr Mitchell

The catalyst for the partnership was the establishment of the two pilot Community Development and Employment Program Resource Units (CDEPRU) by FaHCSIA in June 2011.

Batchelor Institute and TASI have identified the significance of a strategic partnership and worked towards an MOU to formalise collaboration between the two organisations.

The Institutes have initiated a number of forums at senior management and practitioner levels for professional exchange  and contributed to the development of a “community of practice” based on access to the CDEPRU Moodle site as an IT platform, resource and information hub for CDEP providers.

The signing took place at the beginning of a CDEPRU Reference Group Forum that will run over the following two days.

CDEPRU is a new initiative of FaHCSIA to support CDEP providers and increase their capacity through facilitating their involvement in innovative training and employment programs.

Two pilot programs in the NT and SA have been funded to support the implementation of CDEP Extension Programs as a whole of department response to the Bath Report.

In the Northern Territory Batchelor Institute has been supporting CDEP providers to develop innovative responses to the challenges of cultural survival, maintenance and the successful participation in training that leads to employment and safer, stronger and healthier communities.

TASI’s Centre for Education and Foundation Skills has been specialising in language, literacy and numeracy workforce development strategies for CDEP providers.