Regional development, innovation, skill needs and training: a pilot study in the Shire of Gannawarra, Victoria

While all enterprises from time to time experience difficulties in accessing the particular education and training they need to meet their skill requirements, those in regional areas sometimes face greater challenges, particularly if they are located at some distance from metropolitan centres. These difficulties can occur at any time, but there is a suggestion that they may be especially strong when the enterprise is engaged in innovation. This 2003 project set out to investigate the relationship between innovation and the provision of appropriate education and training in regional Australia. The pilot project involved the Gannawarra Shire of northern Victoria, an area that is facing some difficult challenges that are not unique, but typical of those confronting many other regions throughout Australia.