PNG students choose Rockhampton as study destination

08 August 2022

An ad in the local Port Moresby newspaper promoting an information session about studying in Rockhampton sparked the interest of a group of PNG nationals to consider a career in Aged Care.

Along with hundreds of others' they attended the information session where they learned that they could study in Rockhampton under fully paid scholarships.

Over 500 students from Port Moresby applied for the scholarship and after a rigorous selection process' 10 were successful.

But first' the prospective students needed to find out where Rockhampton was on the world map.

'Prior to attending the information session' they had not realised Rockhampton was even in Australia'' CQUniversity Associate Vice-President of the Rockhampton region Kim Harrington said.

'The selected students undertook a four-month preparation program in Port Moresby in order to prepare them for study and life in Australia'' she said.

'The preparation program included English classes' computing and IT' Workplace Health and Safety and elements at an overview level of the course content which they would be studying in Australia."

The 10 students are now in Rockhampton where they are studying the Certificate III in Individual Support (Aged Care).

'For many of the students it was their first time to travel to Australia and because they had never heard of Rockhampton' they felt like they were embarking on a big adventure. For others in the class' it's the first time they have had the opportunity to travel outside of PNG.'

Ms Harrington said the students were very much enjoying CQUniversity and finding the course interesting.

'Rockhampton is a very organised city' the VET teachers are organised and everyone we have met in Rockhampton and on campus are very friendly. So far' we love CQU and Rockhampton'' the students said.

The group of students hope to get some casual work in aged care whilst studying' then fulltime work under a labour skilled workers visa post study to fully embed their learnings and become workplace experienced employees before returning to PNG to work in the sector' where they will assist in improving aged care services in PNG.