Pilbara uni centre expands

The number of students completing their university studies with the Pilbara University Centre has skyrocketed since the service opened last year. Now in its second year of operation, the PUC has welcomed more than 60 students in Karratha and Port Hedland who are studying with CQUniversity, Curtin University and Edith Cowan University. PUC chief executive Susan Grylls said the growth of the centre was “unbelievable”, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic. “We had our first face to face tutorials during COVID and we had three students who were fantastic and will always be a special part of the PUC, but then 12 months later and during some pretty challenging times, we’ve now held tonight’s orientation with 20 students here from three different universities,” she said. “The purpose of the orientation event is to set students up for success. “It’s to bring them all together and think about their studies. It’s also the beginning of their journey of meeting their fellow contemporaries and building their networks which will set themselves up well for later on down the track.” Mrs Grylls said it was a privilege to provide Pilbara students the opportunity for university study and allow them to stay living and working in the region. “People in the Pilbara don’t take it for granted,” she said. “You have a lot of organisations which are really striving to make the Pilbara a wonderful destination in which to live and raise a family. “Being able to provide the support the PUC can provide really adds to that because people will leave an area if they don’t believe the education or health services are suitable or appropriate. “By us providing the PUC, we are actually providing support for education and also we are helping train people who can actually provide those services in the health area, such as nursing, such as social work, such as psychology.”