Over the coming months, more than 1050 students living in Hunter will experience one of the most stressful times of their lives: Year 12 exams. With more than one in three young people citing study-related stress as one of their biggest concerns, many students feel that their entire future depends on their Year 12 results.
To support this year’s graduating class, next month ReachOut Australia will launch “There’s Life After Year 12 Exams” – a national campaign designed to help students manage the stress and anxiety of Year 12 exams.
If you are a Year 12 student, or know someone who is in Year 12, and you would like more information logon to www.reachout.com.
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Last week the Shadow Minister with responsibility for vocational education visited our electorate to help me highlight the importance of our TAFE institutions and the threat government policy poses to them.
During her visit, Sharon Bird and I pointed out that NSW Government policies are slowly but surely killing TAFE and as a key funder, the Commonwealth is in a position to do something about it.
We believe that in addition to the restoration of state funding, governments need to recognise that the plan to introduce competition in the training market has failed in regional Australia where we don't always have the critical mass of students to allow it to work.
Sharon Bird has proposed we cap the amount of money which goes to the private providers. That will strengthen TAFE's future.
We need a TAFE system local kids can easily access to obtain affordable training in the skills areas our economy so desperately needs
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State branches of the Labor Party - most notably NSW - have been operating Country Labor entities and running "Country Labor" candidates for many years.
As part of my efforts to re-energise Federal Labor's efforts and improve electoral outcomes in rural and regional Australia, I've established :-
• a Country Caucus in Canberra where MPs and Senators from, or with an interest in, rural and regional Australia meet with interests groups, discuss policy, and hunt as a pack in the Caucus.
• The first provision in the National Rules of the Party for a Country Labor Network and a requirement that each state branch (those who haven't already formalised one) establish a Country Labor entity
• The inaugural National Country Labor Forum.
I convened the first Country Labor Forum in Casino last weekend. It was a great success.
The objectives of the forum were :-
• To bring country members together to discuss rural and regional issues and to share ideas
• To devise campaign strategies for rural and regional Australia
• To showcase Labor's focus on rural and regional Australia
• To provide the Parliamentary Leader with an opportunity to address country members from around the nation
Around 200 Party Members attended the forum at the Casino RSM Club. National ALP President Mark Butler and a number of Shadow Ministers and other MPs from federal and state parliaments also attended.
In the past 30 years Labor has not won office nationally without holding at least 13 rural seats as defined by the AEC and a combination of 29 rural and provincial seats. We currently hold 5 and 14 respectively. If we don't substantially build on that, history says we can't win!
But more importantly, a strong Labor Party in the regions brings political competition and better outcomes for our rural and regional communities. That is the most noble of all my objectives.
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Do you know female students entering Year 9 who could achieve more with some extra support? The Harding Miller Foundation Scholarship Program provides practical support to lift the educational outcomes and career aspirations of high potential girls who are facing disadvantage.
The Scholarship is valued at over $3000 each year for two years and includes:
• Laptop with internet connection
• Access to online tutoring support
• Annual bursary for educational expenses
For more information go to www.publiceducationfoundation.org.au/scholarships/.
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I am always keen to assist with issues or questions relating to Federal Government departments or put you in contact with someone who can, so please ring, write, visit the website or call in.
Why not go the extra step by following me on my Facebook page “Joel Fitzgibbon” or on Twitter and type in the search bar “fitzhunter”. Or by regularly checking my website at www.joelfitzgibbon.com or you can even sign up to my E-Newsletter.
To contact the office, phone 1300 301 753, visit www.joelfitzgibbon.com or by post 3 Edward Street, (PO Box 526) Cessnock, 2325.
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