Bridging education and employment, this project aims to connect students and graduates with real-world creative careers in regional Western Australia.
Regional Arts WA is committed to creating meaningful pathways for tertiary students to gain experience and employment in regional Western Australia’s arts and cultural sector. Through innovative Work Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities, the initiative supports student placements and aims to establish innovative models for creative graduates to have pathways into employment in WA’s regional communities.
Project Scope
In collaboration with Edith Cowan University/ WA Academy of Performing Arts, Regional Arts WA has facilitated successful WIL placements with multiple regional organisations and will expand these opportunities by collaborating with additional tertiary institutions from July 2025. This cross-sector collaboration – bringing together government, education, industry, and the arts – aims to strengthen the link between education and career outcomes in regional WA’s creative sector.
In addition, Regional Arts WA has commenced a new Research and Development (R&D) initiative the Future Regional Creative Workforce Project, aimed at better understanding and addressing the workforce needs of regional arts organisations. The project will help shape practical solutions for students and graduates creating pathways into the regional arts and culture sector.
Several stakeholders in WA’s tertiary education sector and creative industries will participate in the project.
Why this is needed
This R&D work will lay the foundation for broader stakeholder engagement, building a strong case towards a sustainable and systems-approach to workforce development for the creative industries in the regions.
It will address key ongoing challenges specific to the WA regional arts and cultural organisations, and has the potential to have broader implications and create improvements that will benefit the creative industries for WA and nationally.
Project Goals
- Create employment pathways in the regional arts and culture sector whilst addressing skills gaps and supporting students and graduates.
- Expand industry-led mentoring, on the job training, WIL and sector development opportunities.
- Build capacity in regional small-to-medium not-for-profits to meet rising demand for creative products and services.
- Promote the value of regional arts careers and lifestyles to attract and retain talent in WA, particularly regional communities.
- Improve regional service delivery by strengthening the current and future workforce capacity.
- Work with cross-industry stakeholders through a co-design and co-investment approach to solve issues associated with bridging the gap between education and employment in the creative industries.
Project Partners
The project is supported by the Regional Arts Fund, Minderoo Foundation and The Ian Potter Foundation.
The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government program that supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote communities in Australia. The Regional Arts Fund is managed by Regional Arts Australia on behalf of the Australian Government.
Contact
For more information please contact Alysha Saunders, Manager Strategy and Partnerships.