Supporting Indigenous leadership in the disability sector
Announcement posted by Growing Potential Ltd. 06 Dec 2017
06 December 2017
WHAT: Launch of a scholarship program for Indigenous people working with organisational change under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
WHERE: University of New England FutureCampus, Level 1, 232 Church Street, Parramatta
WHEN: Friday 08 December, 3pm.
DETAILS:
Indigenous people are being given a valuable opportunity to study business development in the disability sector through a four-year scholarship program developed by Growing Potential Limited (GPL) in partnership with the University of New England (UNE).
The scholarships support Indigenous people studying UNE’s new Graduate Certificate National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Business Development program. This two-year, part-time course was jointly developed by the disability sector and UNE to help organisations adapt to the new NDIS client-centred business model introduced in 2014.
The scholarship program will provide one scholarship annually over four years, with the 2018 scholarship recipient to be announced at the launch of the GPL-UNE NDIS Scholarship Program in Parramatta on December 8.
“It is our sincere hope that as each scholarship recipient completes their Graduate Certificate in NDIS Business Development, they go on to become leaders, championing innovative ways in which the disability sector can evolve to meet the service needs of Indigenous people with disability,” said Dylan Reynolds, GPL’s Executive Manager – Family Services.
UNE Vice-Chancellor, Professor Annabelle Duncan, welcomed the program as an important addition to UNE’s social contract.
“We have nearly 900 Aboriginal students enrolled with us, and many of them are here specifically because we provide a hospitable and supportive environment for learning,” Professor Duncan said.
“The Graduate Certificate in NDIS was developed by a UNE lecturer, Bronwen Jackman, in consultation with the disability industry to ensure the course content is highly relevant and current. It is an important step in our University’s social commitment to be able to lend our expertise to the disability sector and Indigenous people in one program, and we thank Growing Potential for its endorsement.”
Mr Reynolds said that Indigenous people suffer higher levels of disability relative to the rest of Australia’s population.“This scholarship, and the certificate-level education it supports, will help Indigenous people working in the disability sector to transform their organisations to best support the needs Indigenous people with a disability.”
“We are delighted that UNE has seen a need to better educate people in the sector about organisational change, and we’re keen to see how the course that has been developed between the sector and the university can bring better disability service support to Indigenous people.”
The program’s first scholarship winner will be announced at UNE’s Parramatta FutureCampus on Friday, 08 December, at 3pm.
ends
Image Caption: UNE Vice-Chancellor, Professor Annabelle Duncan and Growing Potential Ltd. CEO Otto Henfling signing the four-year scholarship agreement.