Adult education and training

This page has information about choosing a university course, entry requirements including an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) and how to apply.

You can choose to go to Charles Darwin University, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education or a university interstate or overseas.

Read more about going to university.

Entry requirements

Gaining the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET) is the main method used by Northern Territory students to gain admission into university.

Go to the MyFuture website for information on entry requirements.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) provides a measure of a student's overall academic achievement in relation to that of other students and helps universities rank applicants for selection.

The ATAR for Northern Territory students is calculated by the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre. 

A full explanation of both NTCET university aggregate scores and ATAR scores is provided to students in their results folder.

Go to the South Australia Tertiary Admissions Centre website for more information on ATAR.

Apply to university

You should consider any of the following when applying:

• the key dates for applications
• the entry requirements for the course you are interested in
• the fees and if you are eligible for financial support.

Read more about going to university in the NT or interstate.

Read more about financial support.

You can contact Workforce NT by phone, email or by mail to:

Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade
GPO Box 3200
Darwin NT 0801
trainingoperations@nt.gov.au

Phone: 08 8935 7707

If you’re supporting an equity group through training and employment, you may be able to get funding through the Equity Training Program.

An equity group includes:

• people with a disability
• parents returning to the workforce after 5 years or more
• long-term unemployed migrants
• refugees
• mature-aged people
• very long-term unemployed people (VLTU) or those at risk of becoming VLTU.

Who can apply

You can apply if you're based in the Northern Territory (NT) and:

• support an equity group who are:
  • permanent residents of Australia
  • living in the NT
• one of the following:
  • registered training organisation (RTO)
  • special education school (a school for students who have special educational needs due to learning difficulties, physical disabilities or behavioural problems)
  • other representative organisation operating in the NT.

Individuals, sole business operators and government agencies are not eligible.

What can be funded

You can get funding for projects that:

• are delivered in the NT
• include vocational education and training (VET) through nationally recognised:
  • qualifications or
  • units of competency.
• may include non-accredited training recognised by industry (considered on a case by case basis)
• identify and develop clear pathways through training to further training and/or employment
• have outcomes that are realistic, achievable, sustainable and meet individual needs
• include work experience and transition arrangements post work experience (where appropriate).

How to apply

To apply, follow these steps:

Step 1. Read the guidelines.

Equity Training Program guidelines PDF (914.2 KB)
Equity Training Program guidelines DOCX (182.2 KB)

Step 2. Fill in the application.

Targeted and responsive programs (TARP) application PDF (470.8 KB)
Targeted and responsive programs (TARP) application DOCX (64.1 KB)

Step 3. Submit your application by email to trainingoperations@nt.gov.au.

You can also use this email to find out more information.

If you provide training and employment where there may be a skills shortage, you may be eligible for funding through the Pre-Employment Training Program.

It supports projects that give people practical skills to help them gain employment.

Priority is given to programs that lead to employment in:

• occupations with skills shortages
• hard to fill occupations.

Who can apply

You can apply if you’re based in the Northern Territory (NT) and:

• are one of the following:
  • a registered training organisation (RTO)
  • an industry association
  • other representative organisation operating in the NT
• have an Australian business number (ABN), and have been operating for at least one year.

Funding is not available to individuals, sole business operators or government agencies.

What can be funded

You can get funding for a program that:

• is delivered in the NT
• includes vocational education and training (VET) through nationally recognised:
  • qualifications or
  • units of competency
• may include non-accredited training recognised by industry (considered on a case by case basis)
• identifies and develops clear pathways through training to further training and/or employment
• has outcomes that are realistic, achievable, sustainable and meet individual needs
• includes work experience and transition arrangements post work experience (where appropriate).

Your program can also complement other Australian and NT Government, and non-government programs and services. This includes complementary funding arrangements.

Applications must clearly demonstrate that there is no other funding available to support the program.

How to apply

To apply, follow these steps:

Step 1. Read the guidelines.

Pre-employment Training Program guidelines PDF (909.2 KB)
Pre-employment Training Program guidelines DOCX (185.6 KB)

Step 2. Fill in and submit your application by email to trainingoperations@nt.gov.au.

Targeted and responsive programs (TARP) application PDF (470.8 KB)
Targeted and responsive programs (TARP) application DOCX (64.1 KB)

To find out more information, use the email listed above.

You can apply to get copies of your past school results including your Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET).

You can access replacement documents for any of the following:

Access copy of past school results

Before you apply

Before applying, you will need all of the following information:

• full name and date of birth
• contact details
• name of the school you attended
• details of documents you need replacing
• calendar year to which the document/s relate
• the date the documentation is required
• if you want the replacement documents posted or collected
• a receipt or proof of payment for the replacement documentation fee.

Fees

You will need to pay a fee to request copies of your results.

Read the table below for more information.

How to apply

To apply for copies of school results, follow these steps:

Step 1. Contact the NTCET Project Officer before making an application by calling 08 8944 9253 or emailing ntcertification.det@nt.gov.au

Step 2. When your documents have been found, a copy of the replacement documentation application will be emailed.

Step 3. Complete the form and get it witnessed by a person who is at least 18 years old.

Step 4. Submit your form and payment receipt by email, mail or in person:

NTCET Project Officer
Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment 7-12
Department of Education
11th floor
Mitchell Centre
55-59 Mitchell Street
Darwin NT 0800
ntcertification.det@education.nt.gov.au

GPO Box 4821
Darwin NT 0801

How to pay

You can pay the fee in person, by mail, by direct deposit or internet banking.

In person

You can pay in person at a Receiver of Territory Monies office by EFTPOS, cheque or money order.

By mail

You can pay by mail with cheque or money order to:

PO Box 4821
Darwin NT 0800

Make the cheque or money order out to Receiver of Territory Monies.

By direct deposit or internet banking

You can pay by direct deposit or internet banking using the following account details:

• BSB: 085-933
• Account number: 187960596
• Account name: Department of Education
• Reference: ARD - insert your surname.

After you apply

Your application will take up to five working days to be processed.

This page has information about going to university and higher education in the Northern Territory (NT) and interstate, how to apply and university fees.

University and higher education

You can attend university in the NT at Charles Darwin University (CDU) and the Menzies School of Health Research and higher education at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.

Charles Darwin University

Charles Darwin University offers higher education and vocational education and training (VET) courses. CDU has campuses in Darwin, Alice Springs, Sydney and Melbourne.

You can also benefit from work experience with the Northern Territory Government while studying your degree.

Go to the Charles Darwin University website for more information.

Menzies School of Health Research

You can study medical research specialties through the Menzies School of Health Research including global and tropical health and Indigenous health.

Go to the Menzies School of Health Research website for more information.

Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education

Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE) provides training and further education, and higher education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Go to the Batchelor Institute website for more information.

Interstate university

If you are interested in attending a university interstate, go to the preferred university website for details of the courses, fees and how to apply. 

Applying for university

Northern Territory and South Australia

Applications are made through the South Australia Tertiary Admissions Centre.

Go to the South Australia Tertiary Admissions Centre website to find out about applying for university in the Northern Territory and South Australia.

Interstate university

The university website will give you more information on the application process.

Read more about choosing a university.

University fees

Go to the relevant university website for more information about fees.

Read more about financial help for school leavers.

Workforce development officers can help your community organisation with training needs in regional and remote areas.

They were previously called workforce training coordinators.

Training programs organised by workforce development officers are administered by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade.

For more information, find your nearest regional coordinator below.

Vocational educational and training (VET) gives you skills and knowledge to do a job in the workplace such as in retail or an office, or in a trade.

Read more about VET in the Northern Territory on the VET website.

For possible career paths and the difference between university, VET or an apprenticeship or traineeship, go to the Australian Government's myfuture website.

Get a VET qualification

You can only take VET from a registered training organisation (RTO) that is all of the below:

• recognised across Australia
• able to qualify you for a licensed occupation.

For qualifications and a list of RTOs, go to the Australian Government's training website.

VET with paid work

You can combine VET with paid work by getting an apprenticeship or traineeship.

Help with costs

You may be able to get help with training and upgrading your skills.

If you have an overseas tertiary or higher education qualification, you can get it assessed to see how it compares to similar Australian qualifications.

To have a qualification assessed for its academic status or professional standard, contact the appropriate university, professional body or registration authority.

To read more about skills assessments for migration, including information about visa requirements, go to the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs website.

If you live in the Northern Territory

You can get overseas qualifications assessed and recognition of prior learning referrals at the Darwin-based Skills Recognition Centre.

This is a free service.

Find out more on the Skills Recognition Centre website.

If you live in another state or territory

You can find a list of organisations that assess qualifications on the Australian Government's Department of Education website.

The Northern Territory (NT) and Australian governments are jointly funding a range of courses to give you practical skills for work.

These courses are open to Territorians who meet the relevant eligibility criteria.

A small administration and resource fee may apply to some courses.

Find out more below.

Fee free TAFE and VET courses

If you’re eligible, you can now access free TAFE and Vocational Education and Training (VET) places in the NT through the following training providers:

• Charles Darwin University (CDU)
• Batchelor Institute.

Priority sectors

Places are offered in the following priority sectors:

• hospitality and tourism
• care sectors including aged care, disability and early childhood
• agriculture
• VET workforce
• technology and digital
• construction
• sovereign capability
• sales and personal service
• NT creative industries
• business
• food processing.

Who can apply

Anyone can apply, the following are considered as priority groups and are encouraged to apply:

• First Nations Australians
• people out of work or receiving income support
• people aged 17 to 24
• unpaid carers
• women facing economic insecurity
• women undertaking study in non-traditional fields
• people with a disability.

How to apply

To enrol, contact a training provider. They will confirm timing and availability of courses.

For more information, go to the following websites:

• CDU
• Batchelor Institute
• Australian Government’s Your Career website.