MINING giant Rio Tinto has announced it will invest its considerable resources in a new approach to tackle a looming skills gap in the nation’s future workforce.
The company will invest $10m in a four-year national program 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.
Developed in partnership with leading education and innovation start-up accelerator BlueChilli and Amazon Web Services (AWS), the program will crowd-source and fund ideas from start-ups and schools – identifying existing EdTech projects aimed at enhancing future skills, that can be scaled up quickly for the use of students, teachers and parents.
EdTech refers to software designed to enhance teacher-led learning in classrooms and improve students’ education outcomes.
Rio Tinto chief executive J-S Jacques said the new program uses a bold and disruptive method 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,” Mr Jacques said.
“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.”
An advisory board of Australian education, innovation and business leaders (to be announced early next year) will guide the accelerator program and recommend future areas for investment.
University of Sydney deputy vice-chancellor (research) Professor Duncan Ivison said programs like these are especially important considering that 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,” Professor Ivison said.
Rio Tinto will also encourage other business, education and innovation leaders to join the program, and in 2020, selected start-ups will each receive a grant from Rio Tinto, as well as training and mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs.
BlueChilli chief executive and founder Sebastien Eckersley-Maslin said it was critical to ensure the next generation of Australians have the skills to succeed in a tech-driven world.
“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 start-ups accelerate and scale their commercial and social impact,” he said.
AWS head of resource industries for Australia and New Zealand Sarah Bassett echoed the sentiment.
“We are delighted to work with Rio Tinto and BlueChilli, as well as some of the most innovative start-ups, to help enable their ideas through technology,” she said.
The program complements the $14m Rio Tinto already invests in education projects each year with universities, schools, governments and the not-for-profit sector, to help meet growing demand for new and emerging skills.
