Port businesswoman aims to stay the course
FAR NORTH TRAINING FOUNDER ELIZABETH ROSS IS A CHAMPION OF EDUCATION - AT ANY AGE - AND RUNS A VARIETY OF COURSES TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF THE PORT DOUGLAS REGION, WRITES MARK MURRAY.
LIFELONG learning and its ability to change lives is what keeps businesswoman Elizabeth Ross motivated every day.
The Far North Training and Consultancy founder is a true believer in the transformative power of education and started her registered training organisation to help change the thinking of older students, not young ones.
“If you weren’t good at school it doesn’t mean you are not going to be good at learning now or training in a course,” she said
“Education is the one thing that can change a person’s life, no matter what their age.
“If you are willing to invest in it and are passionate enough, then you can.”
Ms Ross said she started the Mossman-based company in 2011 to help people upskill, retrain and catapult their careers after years working for TAFE NSW.
She believes the idea that learning stopped “once you finished school” was archaic.
“I’ve always believed in the principle of adult learning.
“It’s about teaching people that learning is going to be lifelong because everything you do changes.
“That has never been more evident than in today’s world, just have a look at how much your phone or computer has evolved in the last few years
“Even just using computers, they’ve changed so much. Even the phones.”
Ms Ross, who has a double degree in Adult Education and Teaching, said her firm specialised in business courses in the Far North due to the demand for training in fields such as hospitality, tourism, beauty, hairdressing and individual support.
She had come from institutions that also offered automotive, heavy vehicles and aeronautics, but the numbers didn’t add up.
“The RTO needs to have the resources to deliver,” she said.
“I often thought of asking the Mossman Mill if we could deliver courses there, like welding or mechanics, but these sections require large sums of money to run.
“Hence, we run business courses. I looked at the area and came up with courses that could be run.”
Ms Ross is also helping Douglas Shire businesses navigate their way out the global pandemic through her role as president of the Douglas
Chamber of Commerce. She said the “sometimes thankless job” was still a passion of hers and it was a great way to learn for her own venture.
She was a longstanding member of the Shellharbour Chamber of Commerce before making the move to the tropical north.
“I’m optimistic about the future,” she said.
“It’s clearly been a tough 12 months for the business community in the Douglas Shire, specifically in tourism.
“But it’s important we try to come together as much as we can and help each other through it.
“We have some things planned for the next year that we think will help.”
Ms Ross was instrumental in the relaunch of the Douglas Business Expo last month, helping small business leverage employment and economic opportunities by engaging with industry leaders.
“I put in a lady as a secret shopper to figure out, by asking business people, what it is that is holding us back from moving forward,” she said.
“There are a lot of good ideas across the business community in Port Douglas.
“Now, it’s about putting them into action.”