• $114,506 for Charles Sturt program designed for Wagga Wagga’s young people to build job skills

The NSW Government has announced it will provide $114,506 in funding to a Charles Sturt University program designed to help Wagga Wagga’s young people develop job skills.

The ‘Emerge: Building Skills for the Future’ Program run by the Charles Sturt University Innovation Hubs was announced on Tuesday 28 April as a recipient of round three of the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund, which set aside $50 million for youth-related projects.

The Charles Sturt program, which will run for the first time as a result of the government funding, will develop skills in local high school students and the University’s students to make them ready for the evolving and uncertain future workforce.

With 15-year-olds now estimated to have 17 different jobs over 5 careers over and 58 per cent of current students under 25 studying in fields that will rapidly change by automation, the program aims to prepare students with the skills necessary to navigate rapidly changing career paths and workforces.

During the program students will take part in a range of activities, including:

• One-day ‘Design Thinking Bootcamps’ where students tackle real-world challenges and develop solutions in a creative, fast-paced and collaborative way.
• Coding programs for school students to increase their digital literacy.
• An immersive multi-day program where students develop key skills and capacities by exploring what it takes to get a new project or business idea off the ground.
• Guest speaker sessions to highlight the benefits of building a regional business and discuss the strategies used by different businesses to stand out in their industry.

Manager of the Charles Sturt Incubator Hubs Ms Annette Davies said the University was thrilled to receive the funding.

“This funding will help many young people in the Riverina to develop the skills employers need in their employees today and in the future,” Ms Davies said.

“It is really important for students to learn the skills required to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing workforce.

“Our program will engage students in a range of different activities so they can develop skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, innovation and creativity, which will help them to thrive in their future careers.

“The goal of our program is for our students to ‘Emerge’ from their studies with the necessary skills to be successful in the workforce.”

The ‘Emerge: Building Skills for the Future’ Program is expected to run later in the year.