Higher education communication courses

Communication skills training for higher education and university staff

Your staff communicate with dozens of audiences every day – students, colleagues, researchers, industry partners and the wider community. Every interaction reflects your institution’s reputation. Since 2008, we’ve helped tertiary education teams across Australia build the everyday communication skills that support productive, high-performing workplaces and create a positive brand experience at every touchpoint.

Why invest in communication skills training for your people?

In a world racing ahead with AI, it’s still your people – and how they communicate – who shape the student experience, your institution’s reputation and how smoothly it runs.

Our customised one-day workshops give your team tools they can put to work by the time they get back to their desks. Every session is led by an experienced facilitator and tailored to the real challenges and scenarios your team face every day.

The result is sharper, more persuasive communication that people notice and value. Your team will learn to:

Write for varied audiences – students, academics, staff, industry partners and government
Build persuasive presentations for funding, partnerships and internal approval
Present research, programs and services simply and clearly for non-specialists
Use AI writing tools responsibly; ensuring information accuracy and human judgement
Run agenda-focused meetings that finish with clear responsibilities

Trusted by institutions across Australia

Recommended courses for tertiary education teams

We’ve trained thousands of professional staff and academic teams across Australian universities, TAFEs and education bodies. We tailor every workshop using real examples and scenarios from your team – so the activities are relevant and the training sticks.

Business Writing Essentials

Give your team the hands-on skills to write clear, concise and reader-focused emails, briefs, updates and reports – for any audience.

Website Writing for In-house Teams

Help your content contributors write user-friendly web content for impatient online readers. Build scannable pages that answer visitor questions and help them complete tasks with ease.

Presenting with Confidence

Equip your staff and academics to confidently present research, programs and services for impact. They’ll learn to own the room, inspire audiences – and get people to act.

Mastering AI Writing

Help your people use AI writing tools effectively and ethically. They’ll write faster drafts without losing accuracy, tone, judgement and integrity – protecting your institution’s reputation and reducing risk with every interaction.

Leading Effective Meetings

Give your team practical strategies for leading effective meetings across committees, faculties, and projects. They’ll spend less time in unstructured discussion and more time making progress and setting clear actions.

Persuasive Presentations & Pitch Decks

Help staff design and deliver presentations that persuade – for funding bids, program proposals, industry partnerships and executive briefings. They’ll produce powerful PowerPoint decks that engage senior stakeholders.

Data-Driven Storytelling

Help your people turn faculty programs, research findings, enrolment data and program metrics into clear stories that inform leaders, engage audiences – and inspire action with our data storytelling workshop.

View all team courses

Reviews from educational institutions

I am really pleased with the outcome already and it’s not even been a week

You will be pleased to know I have already seen improvement in people’s writing. One staff member in particular sent a stellar email! He used headings, dot points and tight sentences. It was great to see such an amazing improvement so quickly. I have also seen greater consideration by others in their writing too. I am really pleased with the outcome already and it’s not even been a week.

Kerryn Newbegin
Senior Manager, Strategy, Operations and Projects

If you’re looking to elevate your business writing, this course is a must

Our team recently completed the Business Writing Essentials course, and we’re already seeing the impact! The training provided us with practical tools to enhance clarity, brevity, and simplicity in our communications – without losing the human touch that defines how we connect. We now have a shared approach that makes our communication sharper and more effective.

James Pulling
Head of Organisational Agility and Effectiveness

An enjoyable learning experience for all

The Business Writing Essentials workshop was tailored to our business needs and used live examples. The presentation was engaging and relevant which made it an enjoyable learning experience for all! I would have no hesitation in recommending this workshop to others.

Atheena Avison
International Admissions Manager

I want these benefits

Overcoming real workplace challenges

We help your team harness proven strategies they can rely on when the stakes are high and the pressure’s on. They’ll learn to:

Write for any audience: Give your staff the business writing skills to connect with students, academics, partners and government. They write in clear, plain English to engage readers and get results.
Communicate research and other initiatives with impact: Help specialists translate research, programs and services for more stakeholders and leaders. Picture it now: greater buy-in, more funding and deeper impact.
Navigate difficult conversations: Give your team practical tools to raise concerns, manage disagreement and address sensitive issues with clarity and composure – before problems escalate.
Use AI responsibly: With hands-on skills and clear guidelines, your staff will draft faster with AI writing tools – while keeping the accuracy, tone and judgement your institution’s standards demand.

How we deliver training to university and TAFE teams

We come to your workplace – your campus, faculty or training room. Need an off-site venue? We can arrange one. Our trainers work with universities, TAFEs and tertiary education institutions across metro and regional Australia.

Have a remote team or staff dispersed across locations? Ask about our online courses and masterclasses.

Here’s the course format at a glance:

Length: Half-day, full-day or two-day sessions available
Delivery method: In-person as standard (live online available for selected courses)
Group sizes: Up to 20 participants face-to-face or up to 10 participants online
Content: Hands-on exercises tailored to your team’s challenges
Resources: Tailored workbook and checklist handout for all
Investment: Fixed fee with fully customised course material

Who should attend?

Ideal roles

Communication skills training for professional staff, student services teams, academics, researchers, managers, administrators and communications teams.

Experience levels

From graduates and emerging leaders to executives and experienced managers. We tailor every session – whether you’re building foundational skills or empowering leaders.

CSA-higher-education-communication-training

Customised in-house training for your team

We know that choosing a training provider takes trust. Your people expect a valuable learning experience – and your institution expects results. That’s why we sweat the details.

Your team will be working on real communications and scenarios from their work – actual emails, reports, conversations and presentations that relate to their roles.

Plus, we provide training support before, during and after:

A pre-training discussion to help us customise content and target your challenges
A tailored, practical workbook for every participant
Access to the facilitator for feedback and follow-up questions
A Credly digital badge credential for every participant

FAQs for higher education communication training

Can you deliver across multiple campuses or faculties?

Yes, we run multi-cohort programs across campuses, faculties and teams. We can keep the content consistent institution-wide or tailor for each group. Ask about our rate for multiple workshops. We’ve trained dozens of university and TAFE teams across Australia.

Who runs the training sessions?

We’re an experienced team of specialists, storytellers, leaders and facilitators. We use the tools and tactics we teach every day. That’s how we know they work – because we rely on them ourselves.

What's the maximum number of participants per workshop?

We cap workshops at 20 people for face-to-face workshops and 10 people for online sessions. Got more people to train? Ask about our long-term communication programs, including Graduate Communication Essentials and Leadership Communication Accelerator.

Can smaller or larger teams book?

Both smaller and larger teams are welcome to book. We can enrol your small team in our public writing courses and organise multi-day programs for larger organisations. Please contact us to arrange the right training solution for your team.

Is the online writing training live or self-paced?

We offer both.

Our online live team writing training is facilitated in real time. Our goal is to match the interactive face-to-face experience as closely as possible. Your people can ask questions and share their thoughts.

We also offer Business Writing Essentials as a self-paced online course. That way, your team members can learn on their own schedule with 12 months of access. They’ll enjoy interactive activities, practical downloads, instant answers and expert writing wisdom, all at your fingertips.

What technology does my team need for online delivery?

For online delivery, your team only needs a computer or laptop with a working microphone and webcam.

We use a cloud-based virtual training platform, so there’s no software to download beforehand. Your team logs in 10 minutes early to check their setup. Then off we go.

How do you charge for your training?

For our training courses, we charge a fixed fee per group, not per head. That’s why we encourage you to fill every spot for maximum value. Our workshops are tailored to your needs at no added cost.

Do course participants receive a credential?

Yes, every course participant receives a Credly digital badge after completing the course. We send it via email. They can then display it on LinkedIn or anywhere else they choose.

How do you charge?

For our training courses, we charge a fixed fee per group, not per head. That’s why we encourage you to fill every spot for maximum value. Our workshops are tailored to your needs at no added cost.

Can you train both professional (non-academic) staff and academics?

Yes, we run training sessions for:

Professional and administrative teams
Academic and research staff
Senior leaders and executives
Teams of mixed functions

The core writing, presentation and communication skills are relevant for all participants. We tailor the examples and emphasis so the material always resonates with the participants in the room.

Can the training follow our university writing style guide and standards?

Yes, share your writing style guide, editorial standards or brand voice before the workshop and we’ll build the session around them. That way, your staff practise the conventions your institution already expects.

Is your writing style guide out of date or non-existent? We can step in with our writing style guide and brand voice bible offerings.

Can you help staff use AI writing tools responsibly?

Yes, using AI tools is a growing focus for our education clients.

Our Mastering AI Writing course helps staff use AI to draft faster while keeping the accuracy, tone and judgement good writing needs. They’ll learn to respect the integrity standards in an education setting as we emphasise human responsibility, editing and critical thinking about AI output.