The University of Canberra’s new campus in Sydney officially opened today.

UC Sydney Hills, a two-storey, purpose-built campus, is in Castle Hill, north-west of the Sydney CBD.

This semester, 60 students will study the Bachelor of Nursing course, delivered by UC in partnership with the Education Centre of Australia (ECA).

The university plans to introduce more courses.

UC Vice-Chancellor Professor Paddy Nixon said connecting with new regions was important.

“UC has a clear connection to Canberra,” he said. “We also place important emphasis on our global and regional reach and presence, illustrated in part by our partnership with ECA, in order to reimagine our education offerings and meet the educational demands of Australia’s future workforce. 

“Our industry partnerships with local and regional clinical placement facilities will provide UC Sydney Hills students with expert placement experiences, setting them up for a successful future in the local healthcare workforce.”

Health care and social assistance is The Hills Shire’s second largest employment sector, supporting an estimated 8,800 jobs.

“The investment we are making in The Hills will create jobs and help alleviate some of the skills shortages locally and regionally,” ECA CEO Rupesh K. Singh said. “This is the just the beginning of a significant operation.”