The Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, recently announced the national roll-out of an innovative private-sector partnership to help New Colombo Plan students prepare to study and undertake work-based learning in the Indo-Pacific.

Following a successful pilot in 2015, the New Colombo Plan Bennelong Foundation Cross-Cultural Training Program will roll out nationwide in 2016. Through a combination of face-to-face and online training, the program will provide cross-cultural learning and competencies to thousands of Australian undergraduates every year between 2016 and 2019.

The training provides Australian students who have received New Colombo Plan mobility grants with the awareness, sensibility and skills to engage effectively across cultures, derive maximum benefit from their study experiences in the region, and be positive ambassadors for Australia.

The training has been made possible through the generous support of the Bennelong Foundation and the Myer Foundation, who are contributing a combined $885,000 to develop and deliver this innovative cross-cultural training to New Colombo Plan mobility students over five years.

The training has been specifically developed to meet the needs of New Colombo Plan students by Asialink Business, drawing on its considerable regional experience and expertise in building Asia capabilities.

Since 2014, the New Colombo Plan has supported more than 10,000 Australian undergraduates to study and intern in our region, helping to build a more regionally-aware Australian workforce for the future.

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