Todd Williams: OPINION
THE opportunity to write a regular business column gives me the chance to share not only what RDA Hunter is doing but to also highlight the broader impact of Hunter initiatives.
Two weeks ago the RDA Hunter ME Program was showcased at “Pacific 2015” International Maritime Expo in Sydney.
Pacific 2015 is where you go if you want to find out about the latest in naval defence.
It’s where countries and Industry show off their latest innovations.
It’s also where countries go to purchase submarines, air warfare Destroyers and the latest defence capabilities – seriously big and impressive business.
At the expo the ME Program stand didn’t have defence personnel or an expensive fit-out. We had Lego, 3D printers and school students from the ME Program. The ME Program stand was one of the busiest over the three days. The students were proudly telling international naval representatives what they are doing in ME classes and their career goals.
It wasn’t uncommon for delegates to comment, “Gee that’s cool, I wish we had that program back home.” There were interesting conversations with delegates wondering how they could use the ME Program for what they are trying to achieve.
This reinforced for me the importance of meaningful relationships between industry and schools. Real skills and workforce development that is led by industry is a Hunter success story.
The ME Program is well publicised and held up nationally as “the” example of how to increase science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in schools to ensure industries have a smart and flexible workforce for the future.
The program has been so successful, in fact, that the Hunter now boasts three times as many high school pupils studying STEM than the NSW average.
More than this is the fact that industries and schools supporting the ME Program, both in kind and financially, leverage the federal government Defence spend by at least three times the amount.
Companies in the region are experiencing the benefits of having a smart, young and workforce-ready population making their organisations increasingly productive. Now that’s a competitive advantage that every region in the world wants!
A definite highlight of the expo was the newly appointed Defence Minister, Senator Marise Payne, engaging with us. Our students enthusiastically told the minister about their experiences at local industries and how that has influenced their career aspirations.
There is no doubt that the success of this program, with the support from government, industry and education, not only gives existing industry an edge but legitimately positions the region as one of the smartest in Australia. Not a bad place to start for a bright future!
View the Newcastle Herald story http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3433025/todd-williams-program-entices-students-to-stem/?cs=4464IEW
ME Program Students with Defence Minister Marise Payne