BHP : Partnership prepares kids for jobs of the future

A new technology-focused education partnership has been launched with schools throughout the Bowen Basin, to make sure local children are ready for the jobs of the future.

BMA's Bowen Basin Bright Minds will put technology at the forefront of learning in 18 local schools reaching more than 6,000 students.

Launched in Moranbah this week, BMA Asset President James Palmer said the program was developed following community feedback that skills and training in technology-focused areas were critical in making sure people were future fit.

'Our business, like the society in which we live, is changing rapidly,' James said.

'We want to make sure that local students have every chance to be a core part of what BMA becomes, and that we are building to a shared future.'

The multi-million dollar initiative will see several Bowen Basin schools elevate to become Schools of Excellence in Technology, as they embed future-focused learning into their curricula.

The program will boost STEM-related learning for local students from Prep right up to Year 12.

The partnership has been co-designed by BMA, Education Queensland and the 18 participating Bowen Basin schools.

Moranbah State School Principal Anthony Edwards said the program was equipping students across Central Queensland with the skills necessary for their futures.

'This partnership allows us direct access to the funds, expertise and most importantly real life learning experiences that will ensure that our kids have a life of choice, not a life of chance when they enter the ever changing future workforce,' Anthony said.

From professional development in technology for teachers, to programming or equipment for students, the partnership will give local schools the support they need to ride the crest of the fourth industrial revolution wave.

'For us this is much more than making a financial contribution,' James said.

'What we do today will determine how Bowen Basin communities are ready for the decades ahead.'

A meeting will be held in Dysart with participating schools in the coming weeks to begin implementing the program.