Rio Tinto will work with leaders in Australia’s education and
innovation sectors in a new, disruptive approach designed to tackle
a looming skills gap in the nation’s future workforce.
The company will invest A$10 million in a four-year national
programme, targeted at school-age learners, that aims to fast-track
the development of skills needed for the digital future, including
critical thinking, problem-solving, automation, systems design, and
data analytics.
Launched today at the Rio Tinto Centre for Mine Automation at
the University of Sydney, and developed in partnership with leading
startup accelerator BlueChilli and Amazon Web Services (AWS), the
programme will crowd-source and fund ideas from start-ups and
schools.
Designed to prepare young Australians for work of the future,
the initial phase of the programme will identify existing EdTech
projects aimed at enhancing future skills, that can be scaled-up
quickly for the use of students, teachers and parents.
Data compiled by employment analytics firm Burning Glass shows
there is a shortage of transferable, broad-based Science,
Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills, such as systems
analysis and programming, and broader expertise, such as
communication and problem solving, needed for the digital
revolution.
An advisory board of Australian education, innovation and
business leaders, to be announced early next year, will guide the
accelerator programme and recommend future areas for investment. In
2020, startups selected for the programme will each receive a grant
from Rio Tinto, as well as training and mentoring from experienced
entrepreneurs.
Rio Tinto will also encourage other business, education and
innovation leaders to join the programme.
The initiative complements the A$14 million Rio Tinto already
invests in education programmes each year with universities,
schools, governments and the not-for-profit sector to help meet
growing demand for new and emerging skills. The existing investment
includes a partnership with the West Australian Government and TAFE
to develop the first nationally recognised qualifications in
automation.
Rio Tinto chief executive J-S Jacques said “This new programme
takes a bold and disruptive approach to identifying solutions that
will help equip young people with the knowledge and skills for a
changing world.
“Rapid technological change is transforming our lives, and the
pace of change is only increasing, challenging our ability to
attract, develop and retain the talent needed to run our operations
of the future.
“Workers with transferable skills including broad-based Science,
Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths are critical for
Australia’s future productivity and global competitiveness.
“Addressing the change in skills required by mining and other
industries is a task that requires new thinking and genuine
partnerships between business, governments and academia. This
approach significantly expands the network of organisations focused
on equipping people for a digital future.”
BlueChilli CEO & Founder Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin said “At
BlueChilli, our mission is to help people solve the world’s biggest
challenges with technology and ensuring the next generation of
Australians have the skills to succeed in a tech-driven world is
critical. Australia is home to a vibrant and rapidly growing EdTech
sector, and we’re excited to partner with Rio Tinto and AWS to help
the most promising startups accelerate and scale their commercial
and social impact.”
Amazon Web Services Head of Resource Industries for Australia
and New Zealand Sarah Bassett said, “AWS is committed to helping
Australians develop the skills needed to thrive in the future
workplace and drive economic growth. We are delighted to work with
Rio Tinto and BlueChilli, as well as some of the most innovative
startups, to help enable their ideas through technology.”
University of Sydney Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research),
Professor Duncan Ivison: “We have worked with Rio Tinto for over a
decade in advanced robotics and AI technology. Programmes like
these are particularly important when you consider the automation
of routine tasks will increase demand for higher order skills such
as critical thinking and analysis. We need to prepare young people
for these changes and at a minimum ensure that with increasing
digitisation of the workplace there is basic digital literacy
across all workers.”
To register your interest in the programme or join our EdTech
community, please visit Bluechilli.com/futureskills
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191125005352/en/
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