International students flock to the Territory with enrolments growing more than 50 per cent in the year to March
THE number of international students choosing to study in the NT has risen by more than 50 per cent in the space of a year
Northern Territory
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THE number of international students choosing to study in the NT has risen by more than 50 per cent in the space of a year, in line with a government plan to significantly boost their numbers.
National enrolment figures for March 2020, when coronavirus restrictions began in Australia, show the Territory had 3549 international students that month – an increase of 51 per cent on the previous March. Nationally, enrolments rose by an average of 6 per cent.
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The NT’s private vocational education and training (VET) providers were the biggest drivers of growth with a 177 per cent jump in enrolments in that time.
The NT increase coincides with the first year of the International Education and Training Strategy rolled out by the NT Government in April 2019 – a seven-year strategy aiming to boost the number of overseas students in the Territory from 2500 in 2018 to 10,000 in 2025.
Business College student Julia Belisse, originally from Brazil, said she had moved to Darwin from the Gold Coast to study for better work opportunities.
“I have seen a huge increase in the number of international students coming since I moved up here,” she said.
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“It’s probably because of the planning (the government) put in action, and the scholarships, job opportunities and weather too.”
Education and Workforce Training Minister Selena Uibo said growing international student numbers supported local jobs across a wide range of sectors.
Originally published as International students flock to the Territory with enrolments growing more than 50 per cent in the year to March