For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in the Kimberley, pursuing higher education has traditionally meant leaving their community, culture and country. For some, that has been one of the biggest barriers to continuing their education.
A partnership between the Pilbara Kimberley University Centres (PKUC) and Mary MacKillop Today is helping change that by making higher education more accessible close to home.
Rather than encouraging people to leave the region to build their careers, the initiative supports local people to develop their skills where they live, creating a stronger workforce that remains connected to the communities it serves.
Removing barriers to higher education
The PKUC study hub in Broome has been designed around the realities of regional life.
Students have access to high-speed internet, face-to-face academic support, and study facilities that operate around the clock, allowing them to balance university with work, family, and community responsibilities. The model also provides personalised support that can make the difference between completing a qualification and leaving study early.
Amanda Davies, Centre Manager at PKUC Broome, said most regional students want to build their careers without leaving their communities.
“People living in their regions like to stay here,” Davies said.
“They don’t want to upskill and leave their community. They want to improve and stay. And when they do, they strengthen the very communities they come from.”
That approach is already producing results, with recent graduates taking up roles at Broome Hospital and contributing their skills locally.
Building local expertise through lived experience
Studying in the country also allows students to apply their lived experience to the challenges facing their own communities.
Cameron, a Jaru and Kija man, is studying paralegal studies through support from Mary MacKillop Today’s First Nations Scholarship Program.
Drawing on his experience working in the West Kimberley prison system, he hopes to help reduce court delays while serving as a cultural bridge between magistrates and local communities.
Like many regional students, Cameron has balanced unreliable internet access, the high cost of living, and the demands of remote study. His experience highlights the value of investing in people who already understand the communities they will ultimately serve.
Mikayla, a Yawuru and Bardi woman, is also studying through the scholarship program while working in local mental health services.
After previously attempting to study in Perth, she found living away from home difficult to sustain. Remaining in the country has allowed her to continue her education and work, with plans to strengthen mental health support for her community.
Related story: When connections become criteria
Education strengthens communities
For governments, universities, and not-for-profit organisations, the partnership demonstrates that addressing regional workforce shortages is not simply about attracting professionals from elsewhere.
It is equally about removing the barriers that prevent local people from building careers in their own communities.
Jane Woolford, Chief Executive Officer of Mary MacKillop Today, said the partnership reflects a broader commitment to supporting communities to shape their own future.
“Education offered where people are, not where the system expects them to be, changes everything,” Woolford said.
“In the Kimberley, we are seeing that truth play out. When we invest in people who are already part of the community, who understand its culture, its language, and its needs, the impact goes far beyond one individual. It ripples outward.”
Workforce solutions start with local people
The Kimberley experience offers an important lesson for regional Australia.
Sustainable workforce development is not achieved simply by recruiting workers from outside a community. It also depends on creating opportunities for local people to gain the education, skills, and support needed to build careers close to home.
When education is delivered in ways that reflect local circumstances, communities are better placed to retain talent, strengthen essential services, and build long-term resilience.
Investing in local people is ultimately an investment in stronger regional communities and in solutions that are shaped by those who know those communities best.
Ritchelle is Content Team Manager at Akolade, producing stories for Australia's not-for-profit sector at Third Sector.
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