Mildura Rural City Council’s effort to help local people take on a career in town planning is reaping rewards. Council provides scholarships for people intending to study town planning. Scholarships include $5,000 per year to pay HECS fees, as well as employment during university breaks.
There has long been a nationwide shortage of planners, which has been especially strongly felt in rural areas. Mildura decided to tackle the problem by training local people to take up this rewarding, challenging and important career.
Council Officers and Councillors discuss the scholarships with local careers teachers in the hope of finding appropriate candidates who are interested in a town planning career. There is not a set number of scholarships offered annually.
After graduating from the University of Melbourne, Rachel Attwood, who grew up in the district, was employed as a Council planner. Rachel is completing her Honours while working full time at Council. She is the first graduate to have come from the scheme, having begun her scholarship in 2003.
As engineering is another area of significant skill shortage, Council also offers scholarships in that area. One local engineering student is now studying with the assistance of a scholarship in Adelaide.
Councillor for Planning, John Arnold, said the scholarship program helps address significant hurdles local students face in taking on tertiary education.
“We know that taking on tertiary study is a costly exercise, especially for people who have to move out of the district as students in planning and engineering must,” he said. “It is fantastic to see Council growing this region’s professionals of the future, because more than ever, Mildura’s future rests with the chances we can make for our young people.”
Council will seek further expressions of interest next year.
For further information contact Matt Novacevski, Midlura’s Communicaitons Officer, on (03) 5018 8154.
