Today’s opening today of the Pilbara Kimberley University Centre (PKUC) in Broome will help students in north-west Western Australia attain a tertiary education without having to leave their community.
Assistant Minister for Education, Senator Anthony Chisholm said the new study hub will help support the education needs of students from Broome, as well as other communities in the Kimberley, such as Kununurra, Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing.
“This new facility will allow more students, including First Nations students, to study closer to home, where they can receive support from the Hub’s staff, their families, friends and communities,” Assistant Minister Chisholm said.
“PKUC in Broome already supports 35 students, studying in areas including nursing, social work, education and medicine, with 20 per cent of these students identifying as First Nations.”
The Pilbara Kimberley University Centres team has also supported nearly 300 students from the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of WA, since the Karratha and Port Hedland sites opened in 2020.
Assistant Minister Chisholm said PKUC is making an important difference to supporting higher education in regional and remote Western Australia.
The Australian Universities Accord Interim Report identified expanding the Regional University Study Hubs program as a priority, to provide more higher education opportunities to students in regional and remote communities.
The Albanese Government is investing $66.9 million to double the number of University Study Hubs around Australia to make higher education more accessible.
“We believe that every student deserves to have access to a world-class tertiary education no matter who they are and where they live,” Assistant Minister Chisholm said.
“Young people from regional and remote Australia are almost half as likely to obtain a higher education degree compared to their peers living in cities. This program works to remove barriers for regional and remote students to access high-quality education opportunities.”
This builds on the 34 existing Regional University Study Hubs currently operating across the country, with PKUC Broome the latest to open its doors.
The Regional University Study Hubs program currently supports 3400 students, who are studying more than 1000 courses through more than 200 tertiary education providers across the country.
