Inspiring Australia’s Next Generation

“Industry is in a privileged position to inspire and lead students. Industry’s role is not just as an employer, it can play a greater role in developing a skilled workforce by connecting the concepts taught in our classrooms to real world applications”. (Inspiring Australia’s next Generation Dec 2017)

REA understands the attributes that the business world wants to see in the young people who will lead them into the future.

More than just technical know-how, it needs the “soft skills”, “enterprise skills”, “employability skills” all labels for a set of capabilities which enable students to smoothly integrate into their working environments… communication, collaboration, resilience, teamwork, presentation, innovation, project management, entrepreneurialism and the self motivation and can-do spirit to take on new challenges. Problem solving. A desire to learn. Self expression and self-confidence.

Each of REA’s programs is based on developing these skill sets in students. Students who are initially attracted by the “coolness” of these programs are soon challenged and pushed outside their comfort zones to become well rounded high achievers.

Industry also wants young people who understand the latest technologies and how they can be utilised to advance innovation and efficiencies. REA programs drive the development of skills in 3D design, coding, ICT, robotics, virtual reality and virtual analysis. In many cases we source access to technology for the students long before it has been adopted by industry.

The result is a huge benefit to Industry. Students come out of school as outliers, way ahead of what is happening in industry. 70% of the students we engage with change their career motivation to be STEM based.

To achieve all of this requires access to one key catalyst. This is the mentors and role models that exist in industry. Industry itself can also be a role model for students but for the catalyst to have an impact, students need to engage directly with the students.