The Federal Government has provided $3.3 million to help the University of Wollongong train more teachers on the NSW South Coast.

The funding will enable UOW to use the latest advances in education technology to train teachers at its campuses on the South Coast. Using the Bega Learning Centre as the hub, UOW’s Faculty of Education will offer Diploma of Education courses in Primary, Secondary and Early Childhood teaching at Bega, Batemans Bay and Shoalhaven.

The project has been funded under the Government’s Diversity and Structural Adjustment Fund, and is designed to avert a predicted shortage of teachers on the South Coast in coming years.

UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International) Professor Rob Castle said while UOW already offered Primary teaching courses on the South Coast, this funding meant the University could develop a much more comprehensive teacher education program to suit graduates interested in using their degrees as a stepping stone to a teaching career.

Graduates will be able to train as early childhood, primary and high school teachers through the Diploma of Education program.

“This program addresses the emerging teacher shortage on the South Coast,” Professor Castle said. “It has been designed to utilise the latest education technology to delivery first-class post graduate teacher training in a flexible manner to groups in relatively remote areas.”

The program is expected to be popular among University graduates living on the South Coast who previously had not been able to take time away from their families to study in Wollongong.

Professor Castle said UOW had applied for funding to establish the program after strong lobbying from South Coast communities and support from local public and private schools. Federal Member for Eden-Monaro Mike Kelly has also been an enthusiastic supporter.

“The aging teaching workforce on the South Coast, combined with an increasing demand for pre-school teachers, prompted us to look at ways that we could deliver post-graduate teacher training in local areas,” Professor Castle said. “It would not be cost-effective to provide different courses to relatively small groups at a number of locations. So we applied for funding to develop a model utilising the latest technology so that we could deliver the same program at our campuses Bega, Batemans Bay and the Shoalhaven.”

Professor Castle said the success of the application meant UOW could now start developing the course and supporting technology, with the first students able to enrol in 2011.