townsville regional investment prospectus - Townsville Enterprise

Capabilities
Education and Skills
The Townsville Region is strengthening skilled labour through the numerous educational facilities from
tertiary and vocational to trades and training. Courses and training are constantly evolving to address the
shift in labour demand. Hosting over 60 state schools and 11 state high schools, the Region is also home
to 35 private schools at primary and secondary levels.
James Cook University
James Cook University (JCU) is Australia’s leading tropical research university and Queensland’s second
oldest university. Offering excellence in teaching and research, JCU’s main campus is based in
Townsville with additional campuses in Cairns, Brisbane and Singapore.
Over 19,000 students including 5,600 internationals from more than 100 nationalities currently study at
JCU. The University was established to conduct teaching and research on areas of importance to North
Queensland and the Tropics. Its graduates have the expertise and intellectual curiosity to make a
difference in their profession and their communities and conduct the research needed to meet the
challenges facing the tropical world.
JCU’s activities have a strong focus on regional Queensland but its impact and reach are international,
as recognised in the respected 2010 Shanghai Jiao Ton World University ranking system which has
placed JCU in the top 400 universities in the world. It is one of only two Queensland universities to
achieve this ranking.
Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE
The Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE provides vocational education and training to more than 14,700 local,
interstate and international students annually. Students are enrolled in over 200 training programs
ranging from Certificate through to Advanced Diploma level. The Institute also delivers training in
traditional trade areas to more than 2,000 apprentices and trainees annually.
The Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE currently works closely with business and organisations of all sizes
across North Queensland to provide customised training options. Training in this mode can be
delivered as accredited (nationally recognised) or non-accredited with most of this delivery occurring in
the workplace.
12 Images: James Cook University, Queensland Nickel