Laura Kane, a 21-year-old Henty woman, is one of a growing number of people taking advantage of modern technology to get an education while she stays in her community.

The young woman started as a receptionist for Wagga-based law firm Commins Hendricks before applying for its law clerk program, which allows staff to get on-the-job training while earning a qualification.

“I’m pretty lucky, I didn’t have to move away to study and I can stay in the community I grew up in,” Ms Kane said. “I couldn’t have afforded to do it otherwise.”

For years, regional communities have complained of a “brain drain”, where bright young people leave to study at university and don’t return. In response, industry groups and sometimes entire towns have pulled together to find qualified professionals. 

In Wagga, the medical community works together to find much-needed specialists and consults with groups like the Rural Doctors Network. In the western Riverina, a project called “Grow Our Own” has seen business groups, councils and government bodies work to deliver Deakin University courses remotely.

NSW Business Chamber regional manager Ben Foley said there were great benefits available to people who did apprenticeships and traineeships.

“Apprentices and trainees are 20 per cent more likely to end up in full-time employment than those who just go to university alone,” Mr Foley said.

“Not to mention they earn while they learn and don’t have a hefty student debt at the end of it.”

Commins Hendricks director Courtney Hunter completed the law clerk program about nine years ago and said the skills learnt on the job put graduates “ahead of the game”.

“The experience you gain is invaluable,” Ms Hunter said.

“The difficulty with studying something like law was it was only on offer in the cities, so if you need to move you’d have to be able to afford it and then once you move you might not want to come back.

“We lose good people who move away or others might be missing out.”

Ms Kane said she will stay in the area once finishes her training.

“I like working in a rural area, people I work with have known me and my family for years,” she said.

“We’re the only solicitor in town so a diverse range of issues come walking through the door and it’s great to be able to help them.

“I hope to follow in the footsteps of people like Courtney one day.”