The RTCA Clermont Community Development Fund is partnering with the Clermont Community Business Group to bring Sirolli Institute founder and chief

executive officer Dr Ernesto Sirolli to Clermont to share the story of enterprise

facilitation.

Enterprise facilitation is a model that encourages local economic development growth by

providing free, confidential and professional management advice to local potential

entrepreneurs and existing businesses.

Sirolli, an industry fellow and lecturer at the University of Queensland’s Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, will share his insights about enterprise facilitation with the community at a free session in Clermont on Thursday, April 18, 2013.

People will then have the opportunity to meet and discuss their business ideas briefly with Sirolli the next day in free, confidential one-on-one sessions.

“I have been travelling to communities all around the world teaching enterprise facilitation since it began in Esperance more than 26 years ago so I’m looking forward to coming to Clermont," Sirolli said.

"Enterprise facilitation is based on the philosophy that right now there is someone in the town dreaming about doing something to improve their lot.

"If we can learn how to help that person to transform their dream into meaningful work, we would be halfway to changing the economic fortunes of the entire community.”

Topics covered in the community session will include best practices for encouraging and

supporting local entrepreneurs and creating a parallel economy to the resource sector.

“The open community session is also an opportunity for me to listen to the community

and understand its local culture and business environment," Sirolli said.

"I will make myself available the following day for short and confidential one-on-one sessions with interested members of the community.”

Rio Tinto is reportedly seeking to sell its share of the Clermont and Blair Athol coal operations in Queensland and part of its New South Wales coal operations to raise $1 billion to help reduce debt.

The move is part of a concerted push to get the global resources giant back into profitability under new chief executive Sam Walsh.

It recorded a $3 billion loss for the six months to December.

The company has appointed Deutsche Bank to handle the sale, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The move came after lower coal prices and the high Australian dollar ate into profitability for Rio Tinto Coal.

The company would reportedly offload its 50.1% share of Clermont and Blair Athol thermal coal complex as well as 29% of its Coal & Allied operation in the Hunter Valley.

In a statement to ILN, Rio Tinto said it did not comment on market speculation.