Resource region's drive for seamless career pathways gains traction
Published on 18 May, 2010
The resource-rich CQ region's drive for seamless engineering and mining career pathways is gaining traction, with initiatives starting to flow from 2 key entities created for the task...
The Pathways Project facilitators are now in place for Mining Careers Mackay (MCM) and Gladstone Region Engineering Careers (GReEn Careers), hosted at the respective CQUniversity campuses, with the Pathways Project Unit directed by Associate Professor Col Greensill.
The Pathways project, funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) in partnership with the University, aims to facilitate seamless and successful career pathways in mining and engineering. For details visit: http://www.pathways.cqu.edu.au/
GReEn Careers has made the Supported Pathways into Engineering program available to all Senior Secondary and TAFE students in the Gladstone Region and is developing its new Careers Information Centre at Gladstone Campus.
The Careers Information Centre at Gladstone was officially opened this week (April 21). LINK HERE for Gladstone launches Careers Information CentreGReEn Careers also has a focus on credit transfer and articulation services and is expanding opportunities for workplace-based learning. A broader aim is identifying and working in collaboration with each educational sector, providing opportunities to create new services and adding value to existing services.
The Queensland Centre for Professional Development was originally conceived as an integral part of the Gladstone Diversity and Structural Adjustment (Pathways) Project. It was established by Gladstone Campus and operates as a Business Centre of CQUniversity based at this campus. The concept is to be extended to other campuses/locations, all of which make part of the one Business Centre with its management in Gladstone.
Meanwhile, MCM is currently surveying regional industry, business and other agencies to gather the market research that will advise the shape and style of the QCPD in the Mackay region.
As well as promoting relevant Associate Degrees in Engineering and introducing a new Master of Engineering Management degree, MCM is identifying one-off courses from degree programs that can be offered as stand-alone courses of study with credit towards a formal qualification. It is improving articulation and RPL processes and promoting Rio Tinto's Graduate Recruitment Campaign.
A broader aim is to create customised training and education pathways for mining careers, linking schools, TAFE, registered training organisations and universities.