Published on Friday, 18 October 2019 at 12:00:00 AM
On Friday October 18, the PUC travelled from Karratha to Marble Bar to attend the community resource centre training centre open day. This facility was originally opened back in 2014; however, due to compliance issues, the building remained unused until the issues were remedied by the inclusion of a brand new wheelchair accessible ramp and stairway along with a revitalisation of the space.
The building is a fully powered, air-conditioned unit, with security cameras and an integrated alarm system that serves the purpose of offering residents of Marble Bar a space for hire for meetings/conferences, a quiet, furnished training/study space, computer access (including access to software), WiFi and Ethernet connectivity, charging points for laptops and devices, printing & scanning, and access to an online ‘Smart Board’, whiteboards, and videoconferencing facilities.
This long-awaited opening attracted half a dozen local service providers to setup stalls for Marble Bar residents to interact and engage in training and education initiatives, including Apprenticeship Support Australia and North West Regional TAFE.
The day provided a chance for many organisations to get familiar with one another and offered residents the opportunity to find the relevant organisation for their needs. Among the Marble Bar locals attending were registered nurse Ms. Mortimer, currently working for the remote nursing post. Ms. Mortimer has always wanted to undergo the next step to her training by completing her enrolled nursing course. Unfortunately, this has not been made readily available to her in such an isolated community in Western Australia. After discussions with the PUC team about her pathway, Ms. Mortimer has since applied to study nursing with Central Queensland University via distance education and will be supported by PUC throughout her studies. She will also have the ability to complete the practical components of her degree in the Port Hedland facilities, which is a 2 hour drive from her residence at 188 km instead of travelling to Perth 1,482 km away.
The Pilbara Universities Centre support all students studying or endeavouring to study higher education in the Pilbara and aim to visit local towns regularly to ensure that others like Ms. Mortimer do not fall through the cracks and instead have an opportunity to follow their goals to study without having to leave their homes.
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