Supporting lifelong learning in key South Australian region

A partnership between Professional and Continuing Education at the University of Adelaide and Uni Hub Spencer Gulf is providing regional communities with access to lifelong learning, while supporting vital skills growth. 

The Upper Spencer Gulf is home to around 55,000 people and the vibrant cities of Port Augusta, Port Pirie and Whyalla.

The region is at the centre of the South Australian Government’s State Prosperity Project, an initiative to unlock the full potential of renewable energy, critical minerals and green manufacturing to reindustrialise the Upper Spencer Gulf and herald a new era of prosperity for the state.

In 2024, Professional and Continuing Education delivered a total of 11 professional development short courses at Uni Hub sites in Port Augusta,  Roxby Downs, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie and Kadina as a commitment to supporting workforce development and future industry growth

“We have  a large number of  professionals  in the region across many industry sectors,” Lynn Wallace, Careers and  Industry Engagement for Uni Hub Spencer Gulf said. 

“Just because we don’t live in Adelaide  doesn’t mean regional people don’t want to upskill …professional learning should be accessible to everyone.” 

Uni Hub Spencer Gulf is a local, not-for-profit, community-owned tertiary education initiative  that brings university and professional educational opportunities to residents of  the Spencer Gulf region.

“There was quite a gap in accessibility of  short courses, which was something we’d always had on the agenda,” Lynn said. 

“We worked with businesses in the region initially to understand the topics that would be useful for their staff."

Uni Hub’s pre-existing relationship with the University of Adelaide made Professional and Continuing Education an obvious partner for the delivery of the short courses. 

Four short courses have been delivered multiple times throughout the year, including  ‘From Team Member to Team Leader’, ‘Introduction to Project Management’, 'Business Writing Essentials' and 'Dealing with Difficult Customers’.

"I really enjoy dealing with Professional and Continuing Education, they’ve been both flexible and responsive. They’ve worked closely with us to gain an understanding of our unique regional needs, and I feel we’ve got a very strong partnership, all working towards a common goal."Lynn Wallace, Careers and Industry Engagement for Uni Hub Spencer Gulf

The partnership has helped individuals living in regional communities overcome many barriers to accessing professional learning. 

“If we didn’t offer short courses in the region, participants would have to travel  to Adelaide the day  before, or they’d be on the road  very early in the morning and would then need to drive home afterwards. 

“The travel time alone creates a lot of disruption for home and work life and is a considerable safety risk.

“It is also quite expensive for a business or  organisation based in the region to send an employee to Adelaide for training. On top of the course registration fee there are travel and accommodation costs, along with a loss of productivity or having to backfill staff for up to a day either side of the course.” 

Having the  short courses available in the region has been very popular, with participants hailing from a range of industries. 

“We’ve had participants from the health and social services sector, mining and manufacturing, , local government, environment and agriculture, utilities and engineering companies and even someone from the local taxi company,” Lynn said.

“The great thing about the subject matter experts is that they make the content relatable and relevant to the industries and people in the room.”  

The success of the partnership is set to continue in 2025, with further courses planned.