Four selected for leadership program

Four people who live in Latrobe City recently graduated from the Leadership Plus Leadership Program, an intensive program designed to meet the needs of a cross section of people with a disability.

Lynn Lancaster, Maria Slot, Ross de Vent and David Guthrie were successful in their application to undertake the 12 month leadership program to further develop their leadership skills. All four local participants in the 2009 intake were sponsored by Latrobe City through the Rural Access and Neighbourhood Alliance initiatives.

Latrobe City’s rural access project officer, Bill Lawler, said that experience has shown us that investing in the development of leadership skills for local people results in huge benefits for the community.

“Leadership from grass-roots community level will increase the capacity of the community to take the future into its own hands and come up with creative, sustainable projects to address identified needs,” Mr Lawler said.

“The program commenced with a three-day opening retreat followed by eight two-day seminars. It delivers and provides an accredited set of leadership competencies for approximately 20 participants each year. The academic component of the program is delivered by RMIT, a major partner in the development and delivery of the program. Program participants are also required to undertake a community project which is assessed as part of the accreditation for the course,” Mr Lawler explained.

One of the graduates, Ross de Vent, said that by going through the program he had increased his own capacity to engage with the community.

“The program has helped me organise my thoughts about what I want to do and how I can go about it. I can now identify leadership qualities in other people and in myself,” Mr de Vent said.

Mr Lawler said that to date seven people who live in Latrobe City have successfully completed the Leadership Plus Leadership Program which is the highest number from any local government area in Victoria.

“Past participants have utilised their improved leadership skills on a variety of boards, committees of management, reference groups and advisory committees,” Mr Lawler concluded.

For further information about the Leadership Plus Leadership Program, or other programs delivered by Leadership Plus, please contact Bill Lawler Rural Access Project Officer at Latrobe City on 5128 5610.

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