August has been another exceptionally busy month for RDASI. Many of our local industries have told us that workforce issues are critical and so RDASI is partnering with three local chambers, Business Southern Highlands, Goulburn Chamber of Commerce and Yass Chamber of Commerce to bring a specialist HR consultant to the regions.

Last month RDA Southern Inland had the pleasure of meeting new and previous attendees at our Connect events in the Southern Highlands, Goulburn and Yass Valley. We heard from up and coming and inspiring businesses, pitching their ideas and business concepts. These events have been created by the business community for business and we continue to hold these Regional Connect events to boost local B2B networking while providing information and support to help SME’s thrive.

We have collaborated with Goulburn Mulwaree Council and the Goulburn Chamber of Commerce to deliver a new initiative designed to boost the local economy and encourage local shopping via an innovative new Goulburn gift card.

We have been honoured to be a part of the extremely successful SISP program and that we were selected as a pilot region. The program has significant momentum and has expanded to over 30 schools in 2020. In what has been a challenging year, the program has assisted schools and students to integrate STEM into the classroom and engage with industry.

In July last year Prue Swain and her husband Andrew bought a big, unloved building down a laneway in the NSW regional city of Orange. It had been the city’s St Vincent de Paul shop and warehouse. The entrepreneurial couple, aged in their mid-30s and with three young kids, had spotted an opening. Over the years they’d noticed the demographic of Orange was changing.

Women from the bush are proving you can live anywhere and still have a successful career.

While working remotely was thrust upon many of us, former primary school teacher from The Rock in southern NSW Jo Palmer built a business on the concept well before restrictions and lockdowns were common vernacular.

The experience of dealing with of COVID-19 has removed one of the most significant barriers to a substantial population shift in this country, according to the Regional Australia Institute (RAI).

RAI CEO Liz Ritchie says the notion of how we work has been turned on its head and she hopes this change will see significant population growth in regions, following on from a trend that has already been set over a decade.

Recovery in our regions is going to take some time and we know there are still many people doing it tough. RDASI is here to help wherever we can, so please get in contact if you need our support.