The NT Government is reaching out to Australia's near neighbour and supporting English language centres in a bid to attract more people from East Timor to the Territory.

A delegation from the NT, headed by Education Minister Peter Chandler, was in Dili this week for a meeting about the programs with East Timor President Taur Matan Ruak.

It was a chance to see the first graduation of students at the Territory-supported Senai NT English Language Centre.

Joao Da Costa hopes working in Australia will help his English language skills. ( ABC News: Sara Everingham )

The Northern Territory is also supporting several East Timorese primary schools which are catering for the large population of children.

At the busy Fomento Primary School in west Dili, children are taught in their native tongue before learning in the official language Portuguese.

The Territory Government is helping introduce English, not usually taught in East Timor schools until year 7.

"English is very important for children to learn because English is an international language," teacher Minie Amaral said.

The small-scale program began in another Dili school, with the NT Government donating laptops and a satellite dish to link the school to Darwin students and the NT Education Department's network.

"They have two lessons every week in English up here ... it's great not only for the students here in Dili but also for our students in Darwin," Mr Chandler said.

English is not usually taught in East Timor schools until year 7. ( ABC News: Terry McDonald )

Fomento has just six classrooms for almost 900 students who have to attend in two shifts a day, six days a week. One third of East Timor's population is under the age of 15 and schools such as Fomento are bursting at the seams.

"There are a lot of kids in the classroom, they have 60 children," teacher Minie Amaral said.

The NT is building ties with older students too, helping them develop skills to fill labour shortages in areas such as agriculture and tourism in the Northern Territory and earn money to send home.

The NT hopes East Timorese people will help labour shortages in the Territory. ( ABC News: Terry McDonald )

This week, the first 26 students graduated from a course at the Senai NT English Language Centre. The students are now eligible to apply for seasonal work in Australia.

Many Timorese already travel to work in Europe and send money back to family but the NT Government is hoping this course gives students a solution closer to home, which will in turn benefit the Northern Territory.

"Many of our businesses just can't get staff ... language is often the barrier that prevents many of the seasoned workers coming to the Northern Territory for the first time," Mr Chandler said.

The East Timorese city of Dili, less than 700 km from Darwin. ( ABC News: Sara Everingham )

Graduate Joao da Costa said East Timor already had a good English school, but he couldn't afford the fees.

"It's very expensive to enrol, to participate, to study ... so this is free and this school is very good for me," he said.

Mr Da Costa sees seasonal work in Australia as a chance to boost his language skills so he can then apply for a scholarship to study in Australia.

The principal of the Senai language centre, Maria Albion, said the course would open doors for students.

"This is a platform for them to obtain work in Timor-Leste, hopefully seasonal work in Australia," she said.

The NT Government has donated laptops and a satellite dish to link schools in East Timor to Darwin. ( ABC News: Sara Everingham )

East Timor's Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment, Ilidio Ximenes Da Costa, said he would like to see the language program expanded to other parts of the country.

"The opportunities to know English will open new horizons for Timorese young people to get new experiences in the world of employability in the countries where they want to go," he said.

Victoria University's Dr Helen Hill said she'd seen many of the English courses on offer in East Timor and said the Senai course looked good.

"Hopefully it will keep going," she said. "English teaching in Timor-Leste has always been a fraught thing between the Australian and Timor-Leste governments.

"Congratulations to the Northern Territory government for getting it in there without a fuss," she said.