Howard Guille presents NTEU Indigenous Scholarships
What to do with $6,600 awarded to the NTEU after the CQUniversity Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Rickard breached the collective agreement by failing to consult with 200 affected employees about job cuts? The CQU branch decided to establish six (6) scholarships of $1,000 each to support Indigenous students continue their post graduate study.
Howard Guille, presented the scholarships named in his honour at the Nulloo Yumbah awards night held at the Dreamtime Cultural Centre, Rockhampton. John Fitzsimmons, CQU branch president speaking at the awards night described Howard as “not just a champion of the worker - he championed many causes but none dearer to his heart than the plight of Indigenous Australians”.
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Howard addressed the scholarship recipients, Nulloo Yumbah staff, representatives of the NTEU CQU branch and invited guests. He spoke about how humbled he was to present these scholarships named in his honour. In his address he drew attention to the new Federal government student target to increase the share of Australians aged 25-34 with degree qualifications from 29% in 2006 to 40% in 2025. To meet these targets, he said there will need to be a significant increase in participation rates from Indigenous and low SES groups. Howard’s view that one could not look beyond establishing the first Australian Indigenous university as an effective mechanism to meet the government’s aspirations was received with a loud round of applause.
The recipients of the Howard Guille Indigenous Scholarship were: |
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- Lesley Dawn Scorgie (Middlemount) (pictured); studying a Graduate Diploma in Learning Management; has previously graduated from a CQUniversity Bachelor of Education (Inservice);
- Jonathan Oates (North Rockhampton); studying a Graduate Diploma in Management; has previously graduated from a CQUniversity Bachelor of Learning Management (Secondary);
- Anthony Walsh (Gladstone); studying a Graduate Certificate in Maintenance Management.
The CQU branch will offer 3 more scholarships at the end of the 2009 academic year.
Nulloo Yumbah also celebrated a significant milestone in their Tertiary Entry Program (TEP). TEP is the very successful program that prepares Indigenous students for university studies. Student enrolments for term 1 had now exceeded 100.