Press Release Tuesday, 2 June 2009  Fresh initiative bridges city/country divide An initiative offering urban-based university students the opportunity to do work experience with businesses in rural and regional areas is bridging the city/country divide. The Brolga Project is an initiative which stares down rural drift by placing final year university students into work experience positions so that urban students can get a taste of life in rural and regional areas, simultaneously lining themselves up with a job after they leave university. Roma accounting firm Condon Treasure is the first regional business to offer a student a full-time position through ‘The Brolga Project' and Queensland University of Technology student Nijo Antony (pictured) is settling into his new environment comfortably. Condon Treasure Partner Kevin Harker said the biggest problem with being a regional business was to attract qualified people, and the Brolga Project attracted his attention because of its direct focus on addressing that problem. "People think they will be stepping into a time warp if they cross the Great Dividing Range, and of course that's not the case," Mr Harker said. "There's a ton of opportunity out in these areas, lots of specialty businesses are trying to build up their knowledge base but struggling to find qualified people," he continued. Although Nijo jumped the queue, going straight from university into full-time work, over a student a day is expressing an interest in doing their work experience in regional areas. And facilitators of the Brolga Project are desperately seeking host agencies to absorb the student demand. Manger of the project, Mr Richard Cowley said the skills level and variety of students was extraordinary. "Students from 27 different courses, ranging through accounting, aviation, engineering, marketing, community development, IT, health and vet science have expressed interest to try out life with regional businesses," Mr Cowley said. "And ‘business' of course includes non-profit agencies, government departments and commercial enterprises," he clarified. Mr Harker added that another benefit of the project's value was its focus.   "While other initiatives focus on getting tradespeople to our areas, The Brolga Project is focusing on professional careers like accountancy," he concluded.   ...ends For more information please contact: Richard Cowley, Manager, The Brolga Project., 07 3366 1005 E richard@brolgaproject.com.au    Hi-Resolution image available from richard@brolgaproject.com.au