HORSHAM man Robbie Millar will study the model of social enterprise in Europe.
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Mr Millar was awarded a VET International Practitioner Fellowship by the Department of Education and Training, in partnership with the International Specialised Skills Institute, this month.
He will travel to Europe in October and explore the social enterprises model used in leading countries.
His applied research will look at how the model could be used as a pathway for disengaged and marginalised people in regional communities.
Mr Millar is the learning and community development manager at Horsham's Centre for Participation.
Mr Millar said the social enterprise model was a field that his organisation had been interested in for some time.
"There are number of people within our organisation who have significant skills in that space," he said.
"Our organisation started a number of different social enterprises in the past couple of years - including working with Horsham Special School and Woodbine, to start the Laneway Cafe recently, which is a social enterprise as well.
"It's really about using social enterprise as a tool."
Mr Millar said he hoped to expand the range of opportunities offered to Wimmera people.
"Ultimately, the goal is to have a stronger regional community and this is a small part of what we can do improve and strengthen our community," he said.
Mr Millar said he would also attend a Social Enterprise World Forum in Ethiopia, hosted by the British Council.
He said he hoped to support social enterprise development through information and business advice, seed funding, loan finance and action-based research.
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