Being a part of a community is not only an important aspect of mental and social wellbeing, it is essential.
Communities also help combat loneliness, where more than one-third (36 per cent) of Australian adults reported experiencing loneliness at least some of the time in 2022.
This is where Learn Local comes in.
There are more than 200 Learn Local providers across in-demand areas in Victoria, offering a range of low-cost courses from maths, literacy and English language to digital and workplace skills.
These providers play a key role in building equity into the state’s education ecosystem to ensure that adult Victorians are able to take advantage of education and job opportunities, at any stage in life.
Rosie Oates, Learn Local student and now trainer, experienced this feeling of connection and community awareness as a consequence of her studies and was inspired to give back.
Rosie encourages job-seekers and career-changers to get involved, as “you have absolutely nothing to lose by joining in, but so much to gain”.
Rosie joined Paynesville Neighbourhood Centre to undertake her Certificate 4 in Community Service, where she continued her studies after discovering the range of courses available, later completing the Training and Facilitation and Tackling Technology course.
While completing her certificate in community service, Rosie was offered a position as a Wellington East Gippsland Learn Local trainer, where she was inspired by her own experience to give back to her community.
Rosie has been able to strengthen her relationships within the community, to create a unique tailored learning experience for participants – which in turn enhances her own feelings of belonging in her community.
She’s looking forward to expanding her skills to improve the wellbeing of her community through providing low to no-cost education in the heart of the neighbourhood.
IMAGE: Rosie Oates, Learn Local student and now trainer. (PS)
