Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Country Universities Centre Southern Shoalhaven at Ulladulla was absolutely buzzing when I popped in to meet the new manager, Dr Erika Schwarze, last week. It was a great chance to chat to students studying a diverse range of subjects, from medicine, teaching and psychology to medical biotechnology, engineering and cybersecurity. This semester, the centre is providing support to a record 188 local students of all ages, from 7 am till midnight, seven days a week. The centre makes study accessible for school-leavers as well as working people with children, including many mature-aged students. It was really great to see Ulladulla High School students visiting the centre as well so they could be inspired and learn about the career pathways available to them locally. It's so fantastic that we have a country university centre in Ulladulla to help local people gain a university degree or to upskill, knowing they have passionate mentors and social and economic support at hand if they need it.

As a mum and a former TAFE and uni teacher, I am so passionate about providing opportunities to help local people learn, thrive and build their future locally. Importantly, by supporting these centres, we are helping to train more doctors, nurses, allied health workers, and aged-care and childcare educators to help fill the employment gaps in our region.