PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed a new report by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, saying it flagged important next steps to help tackle the skills shortages that affect the resources sector and other key industries.

The Quality Initial Teacher Education Review, which was launched in April last year, looked at attracting and selecting high-quality candidates into the teaching profession, and preparing initial teacher education studies to be effective teachers.

QRC CEO Ian Macfarlane said the release of the report was another part of the jigsaw in addressing skills bottlenecks across the economy.

“Queensland’s resources sector has amazing potential, both for our traditional commodity strengths of coal, gas and minerals, but also for the new opportunities in renewable energy, new economy minerals and hydrogen,” Macfarlane said on Friday.

“To make the most of these opportunities we must ensure the next generation of skilled graduates is ready to go. Skills shortages, both in the immediate term and for the future, is one of the key challenges facing the resources sector.

“We’re extremely pleased to see the report lays out recommendations to increase the teachers across Australian schools, which complements the current work underway by the QRC’s education arm, the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA).

“The QRC wants more science, technology, engineering and mathematics and trade teachers in the classrooms, with whom the QMEA can work to produce young people with the right skills to enter rewarding careers in the resources sector.

“QRC has significantly contributed to the establishment of a new ‘Trade to Teach’ working group chaired by Queensland Assistant Education Minister Brittany Lauga to address the shortage of Industrial Technology and Design teachers.

“This is a genuine opportunity for governments and the resources sector to continue working together to attract more skilled tradespeople to teach in Queensland schools, so we can attract more young people to a career in resources,” said Macfarlane.

Established in April 2021 by the Australian government, the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Quality Assessment Expert Panel was commissioned to help significantly alleviate teacher workforce shortages, as well as develop new standards for ITE courses.

Some key recommendations in the report include:

Provision of incentives to attract more high-achieving school leavers and mid-career professionals, people from regional, rural and remote locations, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; funding to support well-qualified mid-career professionals in employment-based pathways into teaching to help overcome the loss of earnings whilst studying teaching; and the reform of recognition of prior learning.