Brendan O’Connor announces CDU Technical Trades Training Centre in Katherine

The federal government will work hand-in-hand with CDU to deliver a $3.5 million trades training centre in the heart of the Big Rivers region. Here’s how it will affect the local economy.

CEO TAFE Michael Hamilton, CDU Associate Vice-Chancellor Big Rivers Region Alison Brook, Vice-chancellor of Charles Darwin University Scott Bowman, Minister for Skills and Training Hon Brendan O’Connor and Minister Selena Uibo at the federal government's announcement to build a $3.5m Technical Trades Training Centre at the CDU Katherine rural campus. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A rural trades centre in the heart of the Big Rivers region will be a “jewel in the crown” of Charles Darwin University.

The Technical Trades Training Centre at the university’s Katherine campus will offer “traditional” coursework for plumbing, carpentry, engineering, electrotechnology, and possibly automotive.

CDU Pro-Vice Chancellor and TAFE chief executive Mike Hamilton said the new regional facility would bridge the NT’s skills gap by increasing access to education and training that was previously only available in Darwin and Alice Springs.

CDU’s Katherine campus is also a working cattle station. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Mr Hamilton said keeping students close to home meant they would likely find work close to home and “continue to add value to that economy”.

“We look forward to providing numerous courses out of here – training opportunities for our local people, First Nations people and also our skilled local businesses,” he said.

“It’s not that we’re not doing stuff here, we can just do so much more.”

The campus currently offers a range of unique courses such as 4WD operations and one of two snake-handling courses in the country.

It is also a working cattle station.

The Australian government has invested $2.5 million towards the campus upgrades, while CDU has chipped in $1 million.

The federal funding was delivered under the government’s $50 million TAFE Technology Fund.

Minister for Skills and Training Hon Brendan O’Connor. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

CDU Pro Vice-Chancellor and CEO TAFE Michael Hamilton. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor said CDU stood out from the pool of competitive applications thanks to its rural and regional capacity, its status as one of six dual-sector universities in Australia, and its commitment to the Big Rivers economy.

“We know there are some social challenges that people have in communities, in regional Australia, as well as large urban centres,” Mr O’Connor said.

“One of the pathways towards a good life is … giving people employable skills, giving people permanent employment, giving people the opportunity to progress in a career – whether it’s a trade or profession.”

CDU Associate Vice-Chancellor Big Rivers Region Alison Brook. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Jonny McGannon teaches one of two official snake-handling courses at the CDU Katherine rural campus. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Associate Vice-Chancellor Big Rivers Region Alison Brook said students would see the investment’s impact in about 18 months.

But she said the university would not just “rest on (their) laurels” while waiting for the new facility.

“We’ve got some other master plans for the campus to reactivate more of the things that we’re doing,” Ms Brook said.

“(We’ll be) looking at expanding horticulture innovation and training, and creating a botanical and community precinct which will change some of our farming country into native plants, and then also refurbishing the oval at the back to expand what we’re doing in sport, recreation, and health training.”

The new centre will replace the current 'rusty old sheds' on campus. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman said the new facility would replace the “rusty old sheds” students currently worked in, which were “really not fit for purpose”.

Mr Bowman said it was also another tick against the university’s 22 requests for the next Territory government.

“We are ready for the Big Rivers region to explode in the next few years,” he said.

“We’re going to see projects like Sun Cable, really be driving forward and a lot of skills needed for that.

“We’re going to see other renewable projects, but we’re also going to see the development of the Beetaloo Basin, and we’re going to see the development at Tyndall Air Force Base.

“All of that is going to need training, and Katherine and this campus will be absolutely central to that training.”

Originally published as Brendan O’Connor announces CDU Technical Trades Training Centre in Katherine