Delivering meaningful outcomes for Cairns and Far North Queensland is at the heart of the collaboration between Cairns Regional Council, TAFE Queensland, James Cook University, and CQUniversity. These partnerships support education, skills development, and workforce pathways, connecting students, industry, and the community.
Together, education providers and Council are working to build a skilled workforce that supports long-term growth, resilience, and liveability across the region.
Recent reports to Council highlighted strong ongoing activity under Council's Memoranda of Understanding with each organisation, with key outcomes outlined below.
Supporting local careers with TAFE Queensland
TAFE Queensland (TAFE) has played a key role in developing local talent, supporting Council's 2026 Apprentice and Trainee intake campaign and helping raise awareness of career pathways within local government.
Council has hosted TAFE Diploma in Visual Arts graduate exhibitions, including the Kitchen Sink showcase, providing students with valuable public exhibition experience and professional development. Beyond the arts, Council and TAFE have delivered practical learning sessions for adult ESL students covering horticulture, waste and recycling, disaster preparedness, storytime, and library awareness.
Council's plumbing inspectors have also worked closely with TAFE as both students and industry advisors, supporting skills development, regulatory guidance, and professional networking opportunities, including Masters Plumbing Day.
Research-led solutions with James Cook University
James Cook University (JCU) continues to contribute research-led expertise to Council initiatives that support long-term planning and community outcomes. This includes contributions to the Towards 2050: Shaping Cairns Growth Strategy, the City Precincts Urban Regeneration Project, and urban heat initiatives such as the Cairns Urban Heat Sensors Project and Shading Our Streets.
JCU students have undertaken placements with Council across engineering, data science, disaster management, and community-based learning, supporting projects such as flood mitigation modelling and water-sensitive urban design for the Saltwater Creek catchment. JCU also actively participates in Council-led procurement and engagement initiatives, including Meet the Buyer 2025 and Indigenous Business Month Connect.
Workforce development and student projects with CQUniversity
Central Queensland University (CQU) has partnered with Council on major initiatives including the Barlow Park operating model review and the Towards 2050: Shaping Cairns Growth Strategy.
Joint workforce and engagement activities include Indigenous Small Business Connect, the Ecosystem Leaders Round Table, Jobs and Employability Showcase, and Undergraduate Engineering Showcase. Council and CQU also collaborate on student learning projects such as first-year engineering traffic counts, STEM workshops, and cadet engineering programs, with advisory committees providing industry insights that strengthen curriculum and community engagement.
Through these partnerships, Cairns Regional Council and its education partners are delivering practical learning experiences, strengthening workforce pathways, and supporting sustainable growth across Cairns and Far North Queensland.
