175/04
21 December 2004
IT Training and Technical Support program
The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today announced the successful applicants under the Information Technology (IT) Training and Technical Support program.
"The aim of this program is to make basic computer technology training and technical support more accessible for people living in very remote areas of Australia," Senator Coonan said.
Almost $7 million has been allocated to nine organisations under the first round.
"Very remote communities in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory will benefit from this funding with three of the projects focused specifically on Indigenous communities," Senator Coonan said.
More than 15,000 people living in about 500 very remote communities will have better access to basic IT training and technical support as the projects are tailored to meet specific local community needs and to build on existing resources and infrastructure.
Projects successful in the first round of funding include:
- Learning Network Queensland (LNQ) - IT Training and Technical Support project - will be delivered to 157 communities throughout very remote areas of Queensland, including the Cape York Peninsula, the Gulf of Carpentaria, Torres Strait Islands and Western Australia.
- Future Skilling Outback WA - the Department of Industry and Resources in Western Australia will deliver a project targeting 187 very remote communities through the Networking the Nation funded WA Telecentre Network.
- The Remote Art Centre Training and IT Support project- will provide IT training and technical support to 20 Indigenous communities through DESART Art Centres in Central Australia. This project will also cover parts of South Australia and the Northern Territory.
- Orana Education Cooperative project - will provide basic IT training and technical support for about 30 small communities across the very remote regions of western New South Wales.
A full list of funding recipients for the first round is attached. Further information is available at www.dcita.gov.au .
The funding allocated to the Northern Territory has not been fully committed. To deliver training equitably across the Territory, a further call for applications targeting very remote communities north of Alice Springs is expected to be held in early 2005.
Media Contact: Jane McMillan 0438 690 305