‘Connecting Regional Youth to Regional Industries’
Regional Development Australia (RDA) Central West is collaborating with RDAs Hunter and Southern Inland to pilot a program that provides students in years 5 to 8 in each region with age appropriate STEM skills and pathways to STEM jobs.
Funded by the NSW Department of Education, the STEM Industry School Partnership Program (SISP) matches schools in each region with an industry partner and technology program.
The SISP builds on successful school/industry partnerships and workforce development initiatives that have been undertaken in the Hunter Region by RDA Hunter, who will provide a mentoring role in this project.
The pilot will be guided by the recommendations identified in the National STEM School Education Strategy (December 2015) and Optimising STEM industry-school partnerships: Inspiring Australia’s next generation (April 2018) papers both supported by the Education Council.
RDA Central West will focus on the expanding ag-tech industry for the period of this pilot. Emerging opportunities in freight, logistics and construction from the building of the Inland Rail over the next decade will also be considered.
As a part of this regional Ag Tech mentors will be visiting schools, enabling students to see what they could become in this exciting, growing industry of the future.
Other activities will include school excursions to industry, in-class visits by industry representatives (incursions), industry presentations outlining the types of jobs and career pathways, STEM workshops/activity days for students, and professional development sessions for teachers.
SISP Events and Workshops
18th October – 6.25% of a day with Adam Spencer, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst
5 November – Makey Makey microcontrollers & Scratch Teacher Professional Development Session, GATE
8th November – Tech Girls Workshop, Canobolas Rural Technology High School
12th November – CASE design thinking skills for the classroom workshop, Canobolas Rural Technology High School
22 November – Agri-tech Experience Day, year 5 & 6, Canobolas Rural Technology High School
23 November – Agri-tech Experience Day, year 7 & 8, Canobolas Rural Technology High School
26th November – Build Your Future Day, Year 5 & 6, Canobolas Rural Technology High School
27th November – SMART Day, Year 5 & 6, Multiple Locations
MEDIA RELEASE: Robots inspire STEM teachers in Industry Partnership pilot program
MEDIA RELEASE: Pilot Funding for pilot STEM Industry School SISP Program
Makey Makey Professional Development Workshop, GATE
MSM Milling Canobolas Rural Technology High School Incursion
MSM Milling Incursion: Bowen Public School
CASE Design Thinking Workshop for teachers
MSM Milling Incursion – Clergate Pubic School
MSM Milling Incursion and Makey Makey Session – Bowen Public School
AgriTech Experience Day Year 5 and 6
AgriTech Experience Day Year 7 and 8
Build Your Future Day for Year 5 and 6 students
