Last week I was joined by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, The Hon Milton Dick, to immerse Rockhampton’s primary school students in the workings of Federal Parliament.
The Parliament in Schools program provides students with hands on experience to learn about the inner workings of Australia’s Parliamentary system.
Students get the opportunity to learn about federation, democracy, and the Parliament.
It is important that our young people learn about our system of government in a bi-partisan way so that when they leave school and get to voting age they are engaged and informed about our system of government at a federal, state and local level so they can make decisions about how they vote with an understanding as to why decisions are made by governments of all persuasions on a day to day basis.
The ultimate of course would be that all schools get the opportunity to travel to Canberra and see it first -hand for themselves but because this is not possible the program goes on the road and brings it to the schools themselves.
Crescent Lagoon State School and The Hall State School students took part in the Parliament in Schools program last week.
It is so important for students to become engaged in Australia’s democracy.
We need to ensure that our children are inspired and engaged in parliamentary processes.
It is programs, like Parliament in Schools, that hopefully fosters enthusiasm for democracy through participation in immersive programs and resources.
A chance for the students to interact directly with the Speaker is rare and I have no doubt the students of Crescent Lagoon and Hall State School will remember this moment for years to come.
The Parliament in Schools program is assisted by the Parliamentary Education Office (PEO), which aims to educate Australians of all ages on our democracy processes.
The PEO educates Australians about, and inspires their enthusiasm for, Australia’s parliamentary democracy. Through accessible, immersive, experiential programs and resources we foster informed, engaged, and active citizens of all ages.
For more information on PEO and to access resources for education, go to peo.gov.au.
I also met last week with trainees and apprentices at BHP’s FutureFit Academy who are securing the workforce future for the mining sector.
Australia is on the precipice of a resources mining boom to meet the high demand for critical minerals required for creating low emissions technology. With this boom we will see an increase in demand for qualified workers in this sector.
Apprentices and trainees boost the pipeline of workers that are needed to ensure a strong economy.
These apprentices and trainees at BHP’s FutureFit Academy are critical to meeting the high demand for workers as we lead into another mining boom.
It also helps ensure that our young people stay in the region with a pathway to well paying jobs in an industry that is incredibly important to Australia’s economy.
