We caught up with one of this year’s Emerging Leaders Program cohort, Nick Noack, Operations Business Manager at District Council of Yankalilla to find out how he's finding the program so far.

What made you sign up for the Emerging Leaders Program?

A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to participate in the Management Challenge. I got a lot out of the program and it sparked an interest in career development and progression. One of the things that really resonated with myself was a lot of the CEOs and Executives that spoke, and I have since spoken to, participated in the Emerging Leaders Program. It was these conversations which lead me to look further into the program and decide to participate after seeing the value they gain from it.

The most recent module focused on 'A Rural Perspective' – what were some of takeaways from this module?

I enjoyed the Rural Perspective Module. It was really interesting to learn how sporting hubs and community groups were so integral to sustainability of rural communities. With these facilities and groups being a key indicator to the health of a community and the impacts rural communities are experiencing with reducing populations. My biggest takeaway for the day was around attracting industry to the rural areas. It wasn’t necessary attracting the industry but attracting a workforce skilled enough to support industry and growth. How the shortage of skilled workers, professionals and executives in the regions inhibits industry growth, with businesses struggling to recruit the right people with the skill set for the job. The flow on effects then impacts economic growth and exacerbates the decline of population in the regions as people move to find work.

What are you most looking forward to as the program progresses?

This year’s program, as with the rest of the nation, has been impacted by the Covid-19 Restrictions. We have had to undertake some of the modules via Zoom to meet with social distancing requirements. While this has been a valuable experience presenting opportunities such as how we meet each other for group work, and should be a part of the program going forward. With restrictions beginning to lift it will give the emerging leaders cohort a chance to meet face to face and engage with our peers in person. So as the program progresses, in addition to the content, I am looking forward to building on the networking opportunities going forward.