HERALD BUSINESS: RDA HUNTER CEO, TODD WILLIAMS
The people of the Hunter have been identified by local business and community leaders as the region’s most significant strength. This strength is grounded in the attitude of the Hunter’s workers. Women and men dedicated to doing their best, committed to getting the job right the first time; clever, innovative, smart and resilient people.
The future of work and how to ensure our workforce grows and adopts technology such as automation are amongst today’s most discussed topics. Knowledge and skills in science, engineering, technology and mathematics (STEM) are essential for the workforce of the future and for the economic development of the Hunter.
In “tomorrow’s digitally enabled workforce,” CSIRO observes the national trend for “STEM participation is in decline and there are good reasons to believe it will be increasingly important for getting a good job in the future for males as well as females.”
Last year, PwC identified STEM knowledge is associated with 75 per cent of the fastest growing occupations, innovations and wage premiums. RDA Hunter’s ME Program has reversed the decline in STEM in participating Hunter high schools. As this program matures and the primary-school Mini-ME Program grows, RDA Hunter is developing the STEM-focus to include educating more students to be entrepreneurial, to know how to run a business, find markets and to be digitally literate.
Businesses are invited to consider what they can do to support their workforce to develop the essential bundle of skills for the future; that is a combination of STEM, entrepreneurship and digital literacy. Knowledge and skills in these fundamental areas will address changes in demographics, economies in transition and see the Hunter workforce equipped for the globally competitive jobs of the future.
View the Newcastle Herald article http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3772654/stem-jobs-the-way-forward/?cs=4200