This week I had the opportunity to share some of the incredible things happening in the digital space here in Paterson when my federal Labor colleague Ed Husic, Member for Chifley and Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy, came to visit.
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Ed and I called in on two Hunter businesses that are taking a maverick approach to digital success: Hunter Drone Services and Obelisk Systems’ StarLab.
Jason Daszkewicz, who runs Hunter Drone Services, is a former miner. He’s now a master of state-of-the art aerial and photographic technology. He captures footage that is used in real estate and agriculture but abounds with untapped and unplumbed potential.
I think it’s safe to say that Ed was blown away by Jason’s entrepreneurial spirit. As he observed, “No-one would have said a few year ago that their job was being a drone operator.”
Jase is a great example of how innovative thinking and the courage to try something new, combined with new technology, can create an emerging job and new business opportunity.
At the other end of the spectrum, Obelisk Systems’ StarLab is taking digital innovation to the classroom to ensure young people are being exposed to STEM subjects early and often.
STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) are recognised as being foundational to the industrial and corporate world.
Educators are embracing changes to immerse students in STEM learning opportunities, and Obelisk’s robotic StarLab program is a great learning opportunity, while being great fun. They even make their teaching centrepiece, a robotic rover, locally using 3D printers..
Not every young person in the Paterson electorate will have the opportunity or interest in pursuing a STEM education and progressing seamlessly from study into employment.
The Hunter Valley has a youth unemployment rate of 10.8 per cent. This is more than double the NSW rate of 4.7 per cent.
Mai-Wel LabourForce Solutions is an organisation actively working to help young people transition to work with empathy and compassion.
It, too, is modelling innovation, by acknowledging young jobseekers may be faced with barriers and disadvantages that can make finding work very challenging.
In the words of Mai-Wel CEO Pennie Kearney, different people need different support to reach different outcomes.
The Hunter has a history of highly skilled workplace expertise and it is vital that we continue to encourage and provide opportunity for people at all stages in the workforce to help them remain relevant, skilled and engaged.
