Education innovators help prepare students for work of the future

The University of Western Australia has brought together WA school principals and leading education innovators to examine the future of the workforce and how school students can be best supported to transition from high school to university.

The UWA initiative introduced more than 20 principals to guest speakers from leading Australian teacher training organisation Education Changemakers, which works closely with schools on innovation and increasing individual effectiveness.

UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor David Sadler said that inspiring and motivating the next generation of global leaders was vitally important.

“Employability and strategic personalisation of courses is increasingly important to students,” Professor Sadler said. “By bringing together principals and innovators, we are generating more awareness of the pathways available to students and the issues likely to affect them in the future.”

Professor Sadler said that UWA’s recently launched UWA 2030 vision, and Strategic Plan to 2025, were designed specifically to address what mattered most to students of the future.

“Emerging areas of interest from students include multidisciplinary training, more work-integrated learning opportunities and industry connections,” he said.

“Automation and artificial intelligence, data science, cyber security, allied health, ethics and sustainability are all growing in popularity.

“UWA is also engaging with schools early through specialised high school visits and tours so that educators are aware of the opportunities on offer, and students are better able to navigate the options available.”

UWA student Nevin Jayawardena, who is finishing his last semester studying Master in Professional Engineering at UWA, has just secured his first job with Woodside and will be starting early next year.

“The transition from school to university can be a defining period for high school students,” Mr Jayawardena said.

“They have big decisions to make. It’s important that students considering university study are equipped with both self-confidence and awareness of the opportunities available to them.”

Education Changemakers was co-founded by Dave Faulkner, who at 24 became WA’s youngest ever remote high school principal, and Aaron Tait, a global leader in innovation for impact, who played an instrumental role in the movement of ‘entrepreneurs changing lives’ to tackle poverty in developing nations.