The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries QATC Transition Project Management Office – Stakeholder Update 3 June 2019
4 June, 2019
Update from The Project Management Office (PMO):
The PMO is pleased to provide this stakeholder update to inform interested parties of progress in the transition of students, staff and assets of the Queensland Agricultural Training Colleges (QATC) throughout 2019.
Previous updates and background information are available at the QATC web page https://www.qatc.edu.au/2019-transition/project-management-office/.
Student transition
Student transition planning is well underway, with all students set to complete their studies with QATC during 2019 or be transitioned to an alternate training provider. QATC staff are closely monitoring student completions and have in place processes for awarding of certificates prior to the end of 2019.
Staff transition
The PMO has worked with QATC and unions, through the Consultative Committee process to develop and monitor a staff transition plan to support access to assistance for staff impacted by the closure of the QATC entity.
Alongside the regular Employee Assistance Program that is available to staff, a contractor will be appointed to implement a QATC Employee Assistance Scheme.
Longreach and Emerald colleges
The second meetings of the Local Community Stakeholder Committees (LCSCs) were held in Emerald on 16 May 2019 and Longreach on 17 May 2019.
Using the priorities that were established at their first meetings, the LCSCs agreed upon a set of guiding principles to capture the intent of the committees and the communities.
The guiding principles will form the basis of an evaluation matrix that will help to guide consideration of proposals put forward for future use of the college facilities.
Longreach Local Community Stakeholder Committee guiding principles
- An operational model that is a sustainable balance of commercial opportunities ensuring regional benefit.
- Appropriate utilisation of the assets by all key stakeholders.
- Community interests and engagement reflected in the overarching supervisions, governance and management of the college assets and operations.
- Provide industry relevant training, research and development, and education pathways.
- A facility that provides affordable and relevant courses and is accessible by rural, urban, interstate and international students.
(Key stakeholders including three levels of government, industry and community)
Emerald Local Community Stakeholder Committee guiding principles
- A hub concept partnership model that incorporates diverse industries, commercial interests and is responsive to the community.
- A focus on RD&E in relevant industry sectors that focuses on collaboration, adoption and commercialisation with and by end users.
- Demand-driven, flexible and contemporary training and education pathways that are responsive to industry and the community’s needs and priorities.
- A positive contribution to the full utilisation of the college’s assets.
- Financially viable operation that ensures longterm sustainability.
The committees also requested some guiding questions for proposals to be included in a call for proposals document to be circulated by committee members, based on the public call for proposals advertised in the Longreach Leader, CQ News and Queensland Country Life.
Interested parties should email their proposal to qatc_pmo@daf.qld.gov.au by 25 June 2019.
Members of the QATC Transition PMO team attended the Longreach Show on 18 May and were pleased to participate in the Longreach Regional Council’s Advancing Agriculture forum. The team will also be in attendance at AgGrow in Emerald 20–22 June 2019.
The next meetings of the LCSCs will occur in Emerald on 26 June 2019 and Longreach on 3 July 2019. A communique will again be shared following the meetings.
Statewide satellite hubs engagement and transition
A consultation with QATC satellite hub staff took place last week to identify potential gaps in training delivery options for future students in satellite hub areas due to the wind up of QATC and to collect ideas and suggestions for the future delivery of vet training in hub areas from a staff perspective.
The PMO will attend the Isolated Children’s Parent’s Association (ICPA) state conference in Charters Towers on 5 and 6 June 2019 to provide an update on transition activities and processes and be available to answer questions from delegates.
For more information
Email your ideas, proposals and feedback to us at qatc_pmo@daf.qld.gov.au
For further information on the QATC transition process, please contact Alison Mobbs, Director, QATC Transition Project Management Office (PMO), Longreach on 0436 808 827 or alison.mobbs@daf.qld.gov.au
For more background to the QATC transition processes to date, please visit https://www.qatc.edu.au/2019-transition/project-management-office/
