Katherine Open Day highlights new pathways

Prospective students will meet with hundreds of short course, higher education and vocational training options at the intersection of the outback and the tropics, known as the Crossroads of the North.

There, the Northern Territory’s largest tertiary institution – Charles Darwin University (CDU) – will host its first Rural Campus Open Day in the NT’s fourth largest regional centre – Katherine – this Saturday, August 20.

Open Day provides detailed information on a wide range of study options, many of which reflect the University’s connection to major NT industries that support the local community and the wider Katherine and Big Rivers region. 

The Katherine Rural Campus comprising a farm and stud, with 750 head of Brahman cattle, allows CDU students to gain first-hand experience in cattle production, which accounts for more than two-thirds of the region’s $75 million estimated total value of agriculture production.

Reinforcing this important link to local industry, the Open Day will detail region-specific education paths, such as VET Delivery for Secondary Schools (VETDSS) programs, including Certificates II and III in Rural Operations.

A suite of Open Day activities, ranging from a show of prize-winning cattle to an ear-tagging demonstration and guided tours, give people the opportunity to explore the Katherine Rural College, and its working farm.

The University’s Rural Campus also provides the option of residential accommodation for students enrolled in agriculture, rural production, as well as vocational courses.

CDU Associate Vice-Chancellor for Katherine and Big Rivers Region Alison Haines said Open Day enables the wider community to explore the diverse education and training pathways that stem from the University.

“Our Katherine Town Centre and Rural Campuses offer a wide variety of courses, such as hospitality and tourism, health, cookery, retail and sports, in addition to agriculture, rural operations and environmental studies,” Mrs Haines said.

“The Rural Campus Open Day is an opportunity for potential students and their families to come along and experience highlights of the courses at CDU and get their questions answered.

“Having an Open Day opens up our Rural Campus to the wider community and helps build connectivity within the region, which encourages more remote Territorians to consider study options locally.”

It also provides information for study options with a focus on the environment, business, retail, information communication and technology, health, childcare, cake decorating, Asian cookery, tourism, hospitality, sport and recreation.

Showcasing some of these study alternatives, Open Day will see people engage with battling robots, tree planting activities, cake decoration and secretly coded jewellery design.

Katherine Open Day will be held from 9am to 1pm at the Rural Campus, located on the Stuart Highway, 16 kilometres north of Katherine, on Saturday, August 20.

Open Day for Katherine Town Centre was held in June. Further open days include Casuarina Campus (August 28), Sydney (September 3), Alice Springs (September 17) and Palmerston (September 27).