SunshineCoastRegionalReport2ndQtr2004

EDUCATION
HIGHER EDUCATION


HIGHER EDUCATION OVERVIEW

  Enrolments at The University of the Sunshine Coast and other Queensland higher education institutions
 fell for the first time in more than four years in 2003, with significant falls in IT, Environmental and Non-
                                             award course students.

                                                               Higher Education - Enrolments
                      Enrolments by fields of study                 University of the Sunshine Coast                                     Total Queensland
                                                                            2003           % change                                       2003         % change
                                                                                             on 2002                                                    on 2002
                      Natural & Physical Sciences                            432                 -8.5                                   11,178              -4.4
                      Information Technology                                 139                -17.3                                    7,865             -15.0
                      Engineering & Related Technologies                        0                    -                                   7,981              -6.3
                      Architecture & Building                                   0                    -                                   2,430              -3.7
                      Agriculture, Environmental & Related Studies           223                -12.2                                    3,538             -12.2
                      Health                                                 295                 10.1                                   15,381              -2.6
                      Education                                                 1                    -                                  18,839              -6.9
                      Management and Commerce                              1,272                 -6.3                                   28,306             -11.0
                      Society & Culture                                      670                 -9.9                                   27,425              -7.2
                      Creative Arts                                          384                 -5.2                                    9,734              -5.6
                      Food, Hospitality & Personal Services                     0                    -                                       0                 -
                      Mixed Field Programmes                                    0                    -                                     415             -33.4
                      Non-award courses                                        49               -34.7                                    2,493             -20.7

                      Total Enrolments                                                                   3,276                -7.3     125,652               -8.6

                      Source: DETYA




                         Higher Education Enrolments
   Students
                         The University of the Sunshine Coast                                       Higher education enrolments at the University of the Sunshine Coast fell
  4,000
                                                                                                    by 7.3% between 2002 and 2003 to 3,276 enrolments. This decline was
  3,500
                                                                                                    slightly smaller than the overall decline in total higher education
  3,000                                                                                             enrolments in the State (down by 8.6% when compared to 2002), which
  2,500                                                                                             was the state’s first decline in four years.
  2,000
                                                                                                    In terms of field of study, health was the only field of study to record
  1,500
                                                                                                    growth in enrolments in 2003 (up by 10.1%). The most significant decline
  1,000
                                                                                                    in enrolments in terms of field of study was recorded in non-award
   500                                                                                              courses (down by 34.7%) and information technology (down by 17.3%).
      0                                                                                             These movements were generally in line with statewide movements.
                  2000                 2001                 2002                  2003




                                   Field of Study Share                                             Compared with the state, more students at the University of the Sunshine
                             University of the Sunshine Coast                                       Coast (as a proportion of total enrolments) are enrolled in creative arts,
              Non-award courses
      Mixed Field Programmes
                                              University of the Sunshine Coast    Queensland        management & commerce, agriculture, environment & related studies,
  Food, Hosp. & Personal Serv.                                                                      and natural & physical sciences fields of study in 2003. By comparison, a
                   Creative Arts
                                                                                                    lower proportion of students are enrolled in society & culture, education,
               Society & Culture
  Management and Commerce                                                                           architecture & building, engineering & related technologies and
                      Education                                                                     information technology.
                          Health
   Agri, Environ. & Rltd Studies
      Architecture and Building
      Engineering & Rltd Tech.
          Information Technology
                                                                                                    The Cooloola Sunshine Institute of TAFE (CSIT) is situated at the
  Natural & Physical Sciences                                                                       Sunshine Coast and has campuses at Nambour, Maroochydore,
                                   0    5      10      15      20      25        30      35    40   Mooloolaba, Noosa, Cooroy and Caloundra. There are over 14,000
                                                               %

Source: DETYA
                                                                                                    students enrolled at CSIT with key teaching areas including Fashion &
                                                                                                    Design, Engineering & Automotive, Hospitality & Tourism Information
                                                                                                    and Business Studies.


©0, Sunshine Coast Regional Economy, Second Quarter 2004                                                                                                              - 43 -