Child protection training will enter a new era in 2007, when university students throughout the state begin studying Queensland's new, specialised child protection courses.

Revised or new courses will be offered this year in Townsville, Rockhampton, St Lucia, Logan and Brisbane and from next year at Maroochydore and Hervey Bay.

Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle said the Department of Child Safety had worked with Queensland universities, including CQU, to revamp human services courses to give students specific skills in child protection.

Ms Boyle said the redesign of courses would ensure students received some insight into child safety early in their studies so they could consider it as a career.

"These new courses will increase the pool of graduates with child protection knowledge," she said.

Ms Boyle said the new 2007 curriculum drew on child protection experts and key publications such as the department's Child Safety Practice Manual to include the latest practices.

This year, the updated courses will be taught at several locations including Central Queensland University's Rockhampton campus.

Students undertaking the new child protection courses will be given priority for field placements with the Department of Child Safety.

The revamp of courses addresses concerns raised by the Crime and Misconduct Commission in its January 2004 report about a gap in child protection courses in Queensland.

CQU's Dr Daniel Teghe said a child safety specialist worked with the University on secondment for 6 months last year to help introduce child protection-focused content and resources into courses in the Bachelor of Social Work program and the Welfare plan within the Bachelor of Arts.

"We learned much from this collaborative venture and the specialist - Jenny Casey - is now with us as permanently as our new fieldwork placement coordinator," Dr Teghe said.