Future Edu aims at future jobs for local youth

Future Edu is a Narrabri Shire community group established by volunteers from across the business, research and wider community to promote the uptake of STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths – by Narrabri Shire school students.

The aim is to help prepare school leavers for the jobs of the future.

Future Edu has marked its third year of operation with the past 12 months reviewed by chairman Warwick Moppett at the group’s recent annual general meeting.

“This is year three for Future EDU on our pathway to providing young people with opportunities for enhanced STEM learning,” said Mr Moppett in his report to the meeting.

“I am excited to welcome Dianne Purcell as the Future EDU project officer.

“Dianne has an extensive background in administration and networking and is passionate about education in Narrabri.

“Di has already brought Future EDU new opportunities in the short time she has been with us so we are looking forward to the year ahead.

Thank you also to those members who have patiently supported Future EDU and its endeavours and we have not forgotten the feedback from schools, educators and businesses which has directed our efforts in the community.

“I am confident the committee has distilled from the community and schools the current area where Future EDU can have the greatest impact and we are working towards those outcomes.

“It is a sobering memory as we think back to our formative years, looking at the 1980s when calculators entered the curriculum, computers started and now the world of change is endless,” said Mr Moppett.

“Change in the future is been driven by some important trends, technology is our lives.

“With this in mind let’s have a look at some recent employment statistics.

“The Australian Labour Market Update April 2020 figures for the 12 months prior to February 2020 showed the greatest increases in employment growth by industry were in health care and social assistance, followed by education and training industries,” Mr Moppett told the annual general meeting.

“For the same period the greatest employment decrease was in the retail trade.

“Of the 19 industry categories, nine recorded growth and 10 recorded a decrease.

“With the COVID overlay and on-line sales clearly impacting retail, I’d like the community to reflect on what it means to the education choices we make, as students both young and old.

“Ultimately the next group of students leaving school will apply for jobs in an increasingly competitive jobs market.

“Recent NSW unemployment rates have increased from 4.3 per cent to 4.7 per cent, so people with more experience are joining the jobs market.

“How are Narrabri Shire students going to stand out in this market?

“The Australian population as at June 30, 2019, was 29,365,571.

“The NSW part of that population was 31.9 per cent, 8,089,817.

“Australia was growing at 1.5 per cent, with 67 per cent of the population living in the capital cities.

“NSW grew at 1.4 per cent and of note Victoria grew at 2.1 per cent.

“These are important figures to consider as we reflect where people are and the jobs that we expect to be created.

“In NSW the largest employing industries are health care and social assistance (13.8 per cent) professional scientific and technical services (10.3 per cent) and retail trade (10.1 per cent) with agriculture, forestry and fishing at 1.9 per cent and mining making up 0.8 per cent.

“In Narrabri the big employers are not mining and agriculture, education and training make up 8 per cent.

“These trends should guide our efforts to assist the STEM teachers in the Narrabri schools.

“We must acknowledge the larger headwinds of change and development of a nimble STEM skilled student who is able to seamlessly move across careers will complete our goals.

“The Future EDU’s Vision is to support the creation of a region of future ready citizens, confident and competent in STEM areas, ready to work with and for local organisations,” Mr Moppett said.

“Future EDU has a mature and considered approach to the dilemma of gaining career STEM skills.

“There have been many industry educational engagements, each promoting an industry, as opposed to motivating the learning and preparation for the careers in a variety of industries.

“What sets us apart from other STEM community based projects is our community preparedness to engage in the curriculum early, to begin the journey of subject selection by motivation and experience.

“Our shire STEM students will understand why it is important to maintain an interest in those key STEM subjects.

“Narrabri is uniquely situated with not only a variety of industries but some of the industry’s peak scientific institutions including the radio telescope, CSIRO research and university farms. Future EDU’s support of Narrabri’s young people will provide further opportunities to develop adaptable STEM skills sets to navigate the challenges better than those with low STEM skill abilities.”