‘Their enthusiasm to take up meaningful work really impressed me.’
That’s the comment from Peter Dempster, Charles Darwin University (CDU) remote lecturer in Agricultural and Rural Operations, who has just returned from a project teaching students fencing skills at the community of Canteen Creek, 100 kilometres south of Tennant Creek.
Peter is one of many CDU lecturers working to improve the skills of the 200 residents of this community.
His recent project involved planning and building a fence from scratch with twelve men from the community.
Peter said the students picked up the skills quickly and finished the project ahead of schedule.
‘Seeing tangible results of their hard work is hugely motivational for students and is what we aim to achieve across the Territory,’ he said. ‘Ongoing training empowers them to complete more projects with limited supervision.’
CDU regional and remote lectures teach a range of areas including horticulture, small engine management and welding.