After a lengthy introduction to the workings of the Caroline Chisholm Education Foundation (CCEF), David Button has been appointed a Trustee for the next three years.
A good summary of this journey, including why it evolved in the first place and what it means to our Club, can be viewed here: https://rotaryberwick.org/Stories/the-big-thank-you
Partnering with local organisations with values similar to Rotary, in this case Vocational Service, makes sense when understanding a broader, often hidden side to our community. For example, enrolments into Chisholm are at an all-time high, but there are also applications for assistance from the CCEF to help these students afford the education and retraining. There are many stories of students struggling to live, let alone pay for education, that could get them out of the struggling cycle. So far this year, CCEF has approved $233,000 worth of assistance scholarships, at an average spend of $960 per scholarship.
For me, Rotary needs to be able to see in real-time the facts and figures of what is happening in our community at a measurable level to communicate this information further and understand our broader community. I see our involvement with the CCEF as an opportunity to directly support our young tradies through rough times and actively participate in their journeys. We appear to be at the beginning of a very turbulent economic downturn, and we cannot afford to lose skilled workers because they cannot afford to keep learning.
More about the Caroline Chisholm Education Foundation: Click HERE
