The Coalition's election commitment of $30 million to establish a new Central Queensland University School of Mines and Manufacturing for Gladstone and Rockhampton will support jobs in regional Queensland and a pipeline of mining projects across Australia.
Improving access to education and boosting the quality and variety of skills of the mining workforce is essential to generating greater productivity and increased national prosperity from Australia's world-leading minerals sector.
As Australian mining faces increased global competition, providing a better combination of skills and technology will deliver more highly paid jobs and economic growth.
EY's Skills Map for the Future of Work commissioned by MCA advocates the modernisation of Australia's education and training system through offering improved course structures and enhanced movement between universities and the vocational education sector.
EY's study noted that 77 per cent of jobs in Australian mining will be enhanced or redesigned due to technology within the next five years. Future university degrees will need to have a mix of the latest scientific, technical and trade skills along with soft skills including collaboration, team building, communication and creativity.
Increased investment by industry and government in general skills incorporating mathematics, data analytics, computing and change management will boost productivity in the minerals sector.
Australia's minerals industry has a strong history with Central Queensland University. MCA created the Minerals Industry National Associate Degree (MINAD) in 2014 and continues to support the delivery of this program's associate degrees in engineering, technology and geoscience at CQUniversity, as well as University of Southern Queensland.
