Utilise basic legal concepts in the completion of work routines RUA AG2810 RM

A study guide for the unit of competency, RUA AG2810RM

Learning guide. Observe legal obligations RUA AG2811RM

A study guide for the unit of competency, RUA AG2811RM

Learning guide : conduct market research and analysis RUA AG4803 RM A

Study guide for the unit of competency RUA AG4803RM A

Learning guide : develop marketing strategies and marketing plan RUA AG4804 RM A

Study guide for the unit of competency RUA AG4804RM A

The rural and regional ambulance paramedic : moving beyond emergency response - report to the Council of Ambulance Authorities Inc. March 2006

Serious long-term recruitment and retention problems amongst rural health workers in Australiacontribute to inequitable health service access for rural Australians. In response, new healthcaremodels with flexible workforce roles are emerging including expanded-scope paramedic roles.

This research project was born from the view that expanding ambulance paramedics’ scope ofpractice offers the potential to improve patient care and the general health of the community.New healthcare models with flexible workforce roles are clearly needed in rural Australia andexpanded-scope paramedic roles are valuable innovations.

New community governance in small rural towns: the Australian experience

State and federal governments in Australia have developed a range of policy instruments for rural areas in Australia that are infused with a new sense of ‘community’, employing leading concepts like social capital, social enterprise, community development, partnerships and community building. This has encouraged local people and organisations to play a greater role in the provision of their local services and has led to the development of a variety of ‘community’ organisations aimed at stemming social and economic decline. In Victoria, local decision-making, before municipal amalgamations, gave small towns some sense of autonomy and some discretion over their affairs. However, following municipal amalgamations these small towns lost many of the resources—legal, financial, political, informational and organisational—associated with their former municipal status. This left a vacuum in these communities and the outcome was the emergence of local development groups. Some of these groups are new but many of them are organisations that have been reconstituted as groups with a broader community focus. The outcomes have varied from place to place but overall there has been a significant shift in governance processes at community level. This paper looks at the processes of ‘community governance’ and how it applies in a number of case studies in Victoria.

Supporting beginning rural teachers : lessons from successful schools

Across Australia and internationally, the vexed problem of staffing rural school remains a major issue affecting the educational outcomes of many rural students and their families. TERRAnova, (New Ground’ in Teacher Education for Rural and Regional Australia), is the name of a large Australian Research Council funded (2008-2010) project involving: a national study of pre-service preparation and rural incentive schemes offered by both University and State government agencies, a longitudinal study of beginning teachers who take up rural appointments and a study of communities where teacher retention is high. In 2008 calls for nominations for rural schools with high rates of retaining beginning teachers were sought (over three years), and twenty-four of nearly fifty nominated schools were selected as case studies. Each case study has involved researchers from the TERRAnova team travelling and staying as close to the community nominated as possible. Numerous teaching staff, parents and community members were invited to be interviewed and their recordings were transcribed. Five of these case studies have now been completed, and this paper examines common themes derived from the strategies that support beginning teachers in these rural communities. Key factors emerging to date from the data relate to particular models of rural school leadership, ongoing teacher learning and mentoring, and school support and innovative community practices.

Forgotten outcomes for rural areas in central policy-making : the case of blue gums in Australia

The expansion of private forestry and the partnership between government and private sector timber growers and processors highlights the issues associated with a functionally based rather than a place based approaches to changing patterns of land use in rural areas. Rural development through blue gum forestry was promoted as a means of revitalising rural communities, providing both economic and social gains to regional areas. The purpose of this study is to examine the economic consequences of policies designed to promote plantation forestry at a local level. It concludes that while plantation forestry may bring benefits to the national economy, these benefits may not be apparent at a local level especially if the industry operates in competition with a viable alternative.

Regenerating rural social space? Teacher education for rural-regional sustainability

The complex interconnection among issues affecting rural-regional sustainability requires an equally complex program of research to ensure the attraction and retention of high-quality teachers for rural children. The educational effects of the construction of the rural within a deficit discourse are highlighted. A concept of rural social space is modelled, bringing together social, economic and environmental dimensions of (rural-regional) sustainability. This framework combines quantitive definitional processes with more situated definitions of rural space based on demographic and other social data, across both geographic and cultural formations. The implications of the model are examined in terms of its importance for teacher education.

Supporting ICT based pedagogies in science in rural school settings

Recent research has demonstrated a significant disadvantage for rural teachers in a variety of aspects of ICT use. This context provides a backdrop for two professional learning programs designed to support ICT-based pedagogies in teaching science in Victorian rural primary and secondary schools. In both programs the school-based workshops initiated a community of learners supported with online web-presence. One program used an intensive five-day workshop focused on developing teachers’ knowledge, pedagogical expertise and leadership skills in embedding ICT into classroom practice. The second program provided a one-day workshop focused on integrating ICT skills in teaching science. Factors that affected the uptake of ICT included the considerable diversity in ICT availability and use, teacher competence, lack of support in schools, and online support. To redress rural disadvantage in ICT use, school commitment and focused leadership were identified as central to programs that supported and developed teacher skills and pedagogies over time.

Effectiveness and implementation of an obesity prevention intervention: the HeLP-her Rural cluster randomised controlled trial

To impact on the obesity epidemic, interventions that prevent weight gain across populations are urgently needed. However, even the most efficacious interventions will have little impact on obesity prevention unless they are successfully implemented in diverse populations and settings. Implementation research takes isolated efficacy studies into practice and policy and is particularly important in obesity prevention where there is an urgent need to accelerate the evidence to practice cycle. Despite the recognised need, few obesity prevention interventions have been implemented in real life settings and to our knowledge rarely target rural communities.