CDU Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive TAFE Michael Hamilton says there’s been an increase in enrolments, adding that apprenticeship numbers are up about 10 per cent, with strong growth in regional and remote driven by Indigenous students

Published Jun 17, 2025, 3:05 AM
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And we know that enrollment numbers are on the rise for Charles Darwin University's TAIFE, already surpassing last year's total budget by almost fourteen percent. There has also been a significant increase in Indigenous student enrollments, marking up or making up almost twenty four percent of those currently studying at TAFE. Now joining me on the line is Charles Dowen University's pro Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of TAIFE, Michael Hamilton. Good morning to you, Michael.

Good morning Katie, and good morning to everyone listening today.

Mate, this seems like a great news story. So those TATHE numbers are on the rise, talk us through them.

Yeah, Look, we've seen a good rise across well, pretty much the whole of the taste, but in particular in those regional and remote areas. And so we've put in a concerted effort to really lift our profile in those remote and regional areas, just to ensure that you know, we're not the University of Darwin, the University of the Northern Territory.

And tell me in terms of you know, like in terms of the enrollments, how does it compare to previous years? And you know what, like how the numbers sort of looking if you break them down.

So if you if you really want to get you dig into the metrics. Our prenise numbers are up. That is really good news for the Northern Territory because we know we need more tradees, we know we need more professionals across the Northern Territory and our businesses are stepping up and they're investing in territorians and our so apprentice numbers they've already been strong for a few years, but they're up about ten percent this year. So that's a really solid effort out in the regions. Like I mean, we talk about growth across the territory of fourteen percent, well every regions up at least twenty percent, and if we go out to East Arnham region actually up closer to sixty percent increase, which is wonderful. Now our First Nations engagement because we're going into the communities were you know, we're engaged doing First Nations people in their town and so it's actually up thirty five percent. We've engaged one six hundred and fifty First Nations people this year and I mean that's impressive numbers. But the most important thing is that these are people, and we're going and we're meeting them on their turf and we're providing a service that we are you know, we're working these things out with those local communities around the opportunities for employment, micro enterprise, all of those things that are relevant to that community specifically.

That is a great thing. Are there initiatives as well in place to sort of link up students with employers once they've completed their trade or their apprenticeship.

So we did a late last year we did a project in Central Australia at Central Australian Hubs. There are seven communities that we worked with there and we worked with those communities around and with an ordn territory government around the best opportunities for employment and we provided some very niche training in health, also in construction and also in civil construction and we engaged. It was about one hundred one hundred students that lived in those communities and thirty five of them picked up jobs out of it. And I think that in a remote area, that's an outstanding result. They were short and sharp one week. I think they got the requisite skills, went to the to and got local employment.

That's I mean. I think it's a really good thing. And fundamentally what we want right is for you know, whether you're in a regional location, whether you're in a remote location, whether you're in an urban area of the Northern Territory, you want to see young people and mature students obviously getting engaged in a trade or an apprenticeship and then ultimately ending up with a meaningful job.

One hundred percent. You know, we're here to service the Northern Territory as a whole, you know, and the whole idea of establishing the TAKEE two and a half years ago was how we could best service industry and that was through providing flexible, responsive products that really embedded people in those industries.

Michael, tell me what trades are most in demand. I know you and I have spoken about this before.

Tell me which ones electro technology, So electricians are going through the roof. We will have over five hundred electrical apprentices this year. Wow. That we're really lacking is electrical teachers. So if there's any Sparky's out there that you know, you're just getting a little bit sick of bean in the sun, we would love to talk to you about becoming an electrical teacher.

But you paid as much to teach us what you do when you're out there on the tools.

Ah, well, that's all way to challenge we do. We pay our staff well, now we have to, you know, and they are our greatest assets and so we do want to invest in them. But of course they're also the best asset for industry as well, and totally acknowledge that. But still come and see us anyway.

Absolutely, will you want those you want those experienced trades they're teaching everybody else coming up through the ranks. So our electrician, any others that are quite popular at this point in time or most in demand.

Yeah, so, plumbings on the rise, it's up sixty percent. Refrigeration is another one, heavy d's or mechanics they've always sought after. I don't know if you like getting oil under your fingernails, Katie, but it's a great trade and lots of opportunity in the Northern Territory. Health is on the rise. They're having a cracking year. They've doubled their numbers two Yeah. Ah, good, well it is. It's good for the territory here.

Yeah, that's the thing. Oh mate, Look, I'm not much of a trades personal trades assistant. I think i'd be a little bit useless.

Well, I we need you on the radio because you keep on everyone honest and giving us all that information. Is great, that's right.

I'll stick to what I know. Oh well, I always find it really interesting, you know, to look at what he is in demand, but also you know, to look at what's happening when it comes to trades. So it is wonderful as always to talk to you before I let you go. There are different areas of demand in some of our regional locations as well.

It's a great question. Civil construction is a big one. Conservation land management is also very very prominent out in regional and remote areas. Health's always been a little bit challenging, but with the new Center of Excellence for Regional and Remote Essential Care Services, I think you'll see some shifts there in the future. And we'll probably talk about that again another day.

Yeah, it sounds well, it sounds good, and Michael, as I say, I really like to sort of hear more about what is happening around the end, particularly when you talk about those trades at Charles Dalwen University. It sounds like you guys have got a lot happening at the moment at the Trade School with the Tape School.

I should say, yeah, and we've just finished. Well, when I say I've just finished, we've almost finished our first round of graduations for the year, you know. And there has been a couple of thousand people graduating that time, which is really cool. And we've got tomorrow night in Katherine we'll be there doing a graduation.

How good.

Interesting. We're going to have eleven thousand students through the TAFE this year, which is really cool, and three thousand of those will be first Nation students and I'm really proud of that.

Yeah. Good stuff. Well, wonderful to talk to you this morning. It is always good to catch up and find out how things are going at the Tape C do you pro Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the Tape Michael Hamilton. Good to have a chat with you today. Thanks Katie, thank you, thanks so much for your time.