RDA HUNTER UNDERTAKES ACTIVITIES TO SKILL THE REGION’S FUTURE WORKFORCE
RDA Hunter leads and facilitates collaborations between industry, education, research and government to help deliver a strong economy for the Hunter built on investment, jobs growth and workforce development.
Competitiveness is critical for economic strength.
As this depends on a skilled workforce, RDA Hunter partners industry and educators to develop our future workforce which has technical and enterprise skills, is familiar with industrial workplaces and is motivated to pursue Hunter-based careers.
Programs within the Skilled Workforce Initiative have, for more than 10 years, focused on preparing the Hunter’s workforce for careers requiring skills in science, engineering and mathematics.
Its activities are industry-led and age-appropriate. They help inspire students to choose the right pathways and get jobs. They span primary through senior school and the transition to higher education and jobs – and they work.
RDA Hunter has seen an increase in the selection of subjects like engineering studies, software design development and mathematics by students at participating schools – to a point where selection now sits above NSW average levels.
miniME, in partnership with Port Waratah Coal Services and Google, engages primary school students in fun, hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities to ignite their interest and open their eyes to the region’s opportunities.
The ME Program, backed by Australia’s Department of Defence, coordinates Hunter defence industry and high schools to make learning workplace-relevant and increase awareness of defence industry career pathways.
ME, with Defence, defence industry and the Business Centre, has developed and delivers successful activities like STEM Defence + Innovation. This teaches students life-long business and entrepreneurship skills and is a springboard to commercialising their prototypes.
PRIME, with NSW Mining as partner, builds awareness of the diversity of career opportunities in the resources and minerals sector. It helps secondary school students better appreciate how science, maths and geography are applied across the lifecycle of mines, and the skills required by mining operations.
STEMstart is a vocational pathway delivered in partnership with Lockheed Martin Australia and TAFE NSW North. It includes skills in ICT, cyber security and programming and provides the high value, job ready skills needed to create and sustain advanced technologies for the Defence industry.
A strategic and operational partnership between RDA Hunter, Lockheed Martin Australia and the University of Newcastle is The Altitude Accord. It is helping to grow a ‘5th Generation’, technology-enabled and systems qualified workforce to support future job requirements.
RDA Hunter’s industry-led approach focuses on delivering activities and achieving ‘real’ outcomes for industry and young people. It’s been widely recognised as a genuine and pro-active response to industry’s evolving needs.
The OECD, Australian governments at all levels and multinationals have acknowledged it as best-practice for industry-led workforce development.
RDA Hunter thanks its skilled workforce partners and invites other Hunter organisations to join forces with it to promote careers and skills development.
For further information please go to www.rdahunterstem.org.au