The Queensland Future Skills (QFS) Partnership is paving the way for Industry 4.0 by offering a new program dubbed, Certificate II in Autonomous Technologies (10935NAT), designed to address the critical skills gap and prepare workers and their employers for the rapidly increasing rollout of inter-connected technology in the industry.
A three-way partnership between BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), TAFE Queensland, and CQUniversity, the QFS initiative aims to equip participants with lifelong learning skills to pursue pathways into further vocational or tertiary studies as well as the training and expertise required to work within the fields of autonomous environments.
“A certificate II level qualification will give the students a good taste of what kind of work goes into autonomous technologies, and with the backing of BMA we have a major employer demonstrating their interest in developing this pathway,” said TAFE Queensland CEO Mary Campbell.
To encourage young people to pursue jobs in this industry, Campbell emphasised the importance of understanding the key concepts and having some experience with how tools and software that can simplify challenging tasks or keep workers safe.
The high school education is supplemented by TAFE Queensland courses in Industry 4.0 skills for current industry personnel looking to advance their careers as important industries change around them.
One initiative is TAFE Queensland’s first Higher Level Apprenticeship program, which was launched in 2020.
The Higher Level Apprenticeship program, in particular, allows students to study for a Diploma of Applied Technologies (22460VIC) in an apprenticeship mode.
TAFE Queensland said this program reduces the amount of time away from work for the students and enables both the students and their employers to access the necessary funding and incentives while completing the course.
The initiative, which saw the course provided in the South-East, North, and Far North regions of the state, was developed in conjunction between TAFE Queensland and a variety of stakeholders, including the Queensland Government’s Department of Employment, Small Business, and Training.
The Queensland Future Skills Partnership began delivering to four Central Queensland high schools in Semester 2, 2020, comprising Moranbah, Dysart, and Blackwater State High Schools.
The pilot has since been expanded with wider intakes to other priority areas of the state including Brisbane, Bundaberg, Mackay, Rockhampton, and Gladstone which was facilitated through the QFS Partnership along with the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA).
For more information, visit tafeqld.edu.au
