Gavin Pearce (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Providing local opportunities in education and training right across the north-west, the west coast and King Island is something I'm passionate about. Our region has so much untapped potential, and education and training are key to unlocking it. That's why the Morrison government's Destination Australia program, being offered through the Burnie campus of the University of Tasmania, is so important. It's a great partnership. UTAS is providing high-quality locally based education opportunities, and the Morrison government is providing financial support to make students' higher education dreams a reality. It's a partnership that's working. Enrolments at the UTAS Cradle Coast campus for 2021 have seen an increase of 58 per cent for year 12 students alone. No longer do students have to move away from the coast in order to study or pursue an exciting career. UTAS are committed to ensuring that courses offered throughout the coast continue to match the employment needs of our region. Destination Australia scholarships are specifically targeted towards students studying in regional or rural areas like my own area of Burnie. They provide up to $15,000 worth of support to local students to cater for extra costs of studying in a region. Scholarships also encourage students from right across Australia to come to Burnie to study, and that's important for the great state of Tasmania and the economy.