Jim Chalmers (Rankin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to congratulate the winners of the Griffith University REACH Awards, which I presented during Adult Learners' Week earlier this month. I pay tribute to Griffith University Logan for the excellent job it does in opening up further education to a wider range of people, including adult learners. A vast majority of the 2,500 students at Griffith Logan are adult learners from a range of cultures, which reflects the diverse community. Griffith is supported by a range of community organisations, high schools and TAFEs, who were also in attendance on the night. I thank them for their contributions as well.

There were inspirational stories told at the REACH Awards, including that of Kathleen McGrath who went back to high school at Kingston College after a long time out of formal education and despite substantial financial hardship while she brought up a family. Kathleen was a very enthusiastic winner of a REACH award and is hoping to go on to study pathology at university. I recognise the other winners as well. They were Alison Duncan, Daniel Gaijang Dudi, Amani Allouche, Uncle Noel Summers, Aunty Freda Mitchell, Keiron Smith and Brooke Casey for their fantastic achievements.

I would really like to thank Di Mahoney for organising the event, Professor Lesley Chenoweth for hosting the event at the tremendous Logan campus of Griffith University and Angelique and Cameron for sharing their inspiring adult learner stories on the night.