Rural health workforce retention, engaging disengaged youth in the ag sector, capitalising on natural capital markets and supporting rural and youth leadership in the regions are among the priorities of the latest cohort of ARLP graduates.
The 28 diverse rural leaders recently graduated as the 29th cohort of the prestigious Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP). Their expertise ranges from rural health and education, research and policy, to landscape ecology and agriculture.
The ARLP is Australia’s longest and most in-depth experiential leadership program designed to build leadership capability in people in rural, regional and remote Australia. It’s delivered over 15 months across multiple sessions including four face-to-face sessions across the country and internationally.
Why the ARLP stands out in leadership development
The program is designed in line with proven learning methods and responsive to the needs of the group and rural, remote and regional Australia. Participants develop communication and deep listening skills to fully appreciate and understand the diversity of multiple perspectives, and an awareness of self and others. They graduate as action takers and thought leaders committed to positively influence their organisations, industries and communities.
“This latest cohort of leaders come at a time when courageous and influential leadership has never been more important to support communities and industry as they face drought, bushfires, floods and other challenges,” Chief Executive Matt Linnegar says.
“This cohort will work with others in influencing positive change and resilience across our regions, complementing the efforts of fellow ARLF alumni at a regional, state, national and international level.”
ARLF changemakers have gone on to create the world first Indigenous carbon trading platform; champion fire management and climate change internationally; lead biosecurity for the seafood industry, roll out a 740km wild dog fence in far west NSW; establish the Australian Women in Agriculture network; to shaking up the political landscape with the rise of Independents.
“This is just a snippet of the ARLF’s legacy. We look forward to following the latest ARLP cohort in their endeavours and impact through the action initiatives they’re collectively pursuing,” Matt says.
Already making an impact across the regions
Action initiatives include:
- Developing a better understanding of Natural Capital Market opportunities
and establishing an ethics-centred framework to drive collaboration on a regional basis. - Prototyping an app to connect and support rural health workers
and complement measures designed to attract and retain the workforce across our regions. - Exploring an alliance between government, non-government and enterprise stakeholders to connect disengaged youth with employment in the ag sector.
- · Driving a collaborative approach to empower, deeply listen to, and help activate leadership among regional youth.
- Exploring how the ARLP experience can continue to develop rural leaders equipped to navigate a future marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.
The ARLF congratulates the participants on their graduation and acknowledges the generous support of sponsorship partners who make the ARLP possible. These organisations share the ARLF’s purpose of fostering leadership for positive impact.
