COAST LEADS WAY IN LESSONS OF AGILITY

WE live in challenging times. No one is immune to the effects of Covid-19. In the education sector we’ve felt the impacts on multiple fronts. Initially it was our student community, particularly our international students, many of whom lost their only source of income as their casual jobs vanished and they subsequently struggled to pay their essential bills for food and shelter. With the students in lockdown and their families similarly stranded overseas it was our educators and Study Gold Coast who became their support network.

Ably assisted by local charities and generous businesses, we provided tens of thousands of meals and groceries to our student community, then as the pandemic continued, our institutions and the many businesses that rely on our sector for their livelihoods began to struggle too.

They say adversity creates new opportunities and the pandemic certainly demonstrated just how agile and resilient our education sector is. At Study Gold Coast we moved all our facilities online, including a virtual version of the Gold Coast Student Hub so that our students could stay informed and connected while receiving the support they needed during the crisis.

Our members and business partners also took the initiative, moving entire courses online and even conducting virtual study tours for overseas institutions whose students had suddenly lost their treasured opportunity to visit the Gold Coast.

The Covid-19 experience has taught us to become more flexible and agile in our approach, while thinking more laterally towards the potential possibilities. As economic momentum began to build after the initial Covid shock it was clear that we needed to mobilise our workforce as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Student employability is one of the key pillars for Study Gold Coast and after much consultation we launched the Gold Coast Student Jobs website. It was a win not only for our students, but also Gold Coast businesses, as it put both prospective employer and employee in direct contact at no cost to either party. Today many local students are gainfully employed thanks to that platform.

While we continue to prioritise the safety of our communities, Study Gold Coast is working closely with the City Heart Taskforce to ensure the future for our city.

Eighteen months on since the virus first emerged, the world is a very different place, but we know we have the capabilities to address the unforeseen challenges ahead. We are ready and waiting to meet them head on.

The Hon Rob Borbidge AO is the Chair of Study Gold Coast, a former Premier of Queensland and City Heart Taskforce executive member.