Ahead of the trend

The digital age is not only coming, it is well established and advancing rapidly across all industries.

The accelerating trend of digital transformation means there is a fundamental shift in the kinds of jobs which will be performed in the future – and significantly, the kinds of jobs that won’t exist.

Many of those are in agriculture.

Narrabri community-based group Future EDU is determined to play a role in helping shire students be ahead of the trend and ‘future ready.’.

Future EDU has embarked on a local program to encourage students to choose the STEM subjects – broadly, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths – which will equip them for the digital transformation.

“We want to see our students prepared for the future workplace through their school subject choices,” said Future EDU chair Warwick Moppett.

“We are well supported by our local high schools who have the same goals.”

Future EDU, established three years ago, aims to facilitate the connection between local schools’ curricula, students and STEM workplaces to alert students – and businesses – to the changes and opportunities ahead.

Mr Moppett said Future EDU had attracted strong support from local ‘STEM’ businesses such as Civeo, Santos, Whitehaven, the Shire Council and CRDC.

“We currently are building a database of 20 STEM friendly businesses which can make contributions, at the workplace or at school or financially.

“We are creating a Schools access accessible data base of STEM friendly businesses which are prepared to be part of the local schools’ STEM curriculum.

“We are now sponsored by several local corporate entities and their support will underwrite a project officer whose task will be to identify and engage with STEM friendly local businesses and develop the STEM friendly data base for schools, to provide the curriculum link to the workplace.

“The aim is to link local students to local STEM experiences with businesses which utilise technologies.

“Students will be encouraged to make their curricular choices in the STEM subjects and be alerted to the opportunities for the future thanks to their exposure to the local STEM businesses.

“There are numerous examples of Narrabri and Wee Waa students undertaking work experience with local businesses.

“In each case, workplace experiences at those businesses has stimulated the students to choose STEM subjects and motivate them to pursue a career path that embraces them.

“These businesses recognise the importance of the project” said Mr Moppett.

“We need Future EDU to be successful.

“It is our responsibilty to ensure the young people of today have the choices and options to meet the demands of the future.

“It is advantageous to them to be the future – they will be the winner and the community will be more robust. We need to be ahead of the curve.

“The trends for employment reveal the facts. For example, jobs are diminishing in agriculture.

“The Future Regional Jobs report shows that the next phase of digital automation will vary across the region.

“This is beyond the trend of the drought. In one country region there has been a growth in jobs, but a decline in agriculture jobs.

“Automation is driving out many manual jobs and to support automation you need your STEM subjects.

“The new street sweeper will be a robot but the operator will need to understand the automation.

“Autonomous tractors are here now – so what are the requirements for a new farm worker? The trend is already here and we would be foolish to ignore it. We want our students to be ahead of the trend.”