Forget the old, outdated image of manufacturing as dark, dirty floor work. Manufacturing Skills Queensland’s Industry Engagement Manager, Schools, Sarah McRoberts is on a mission to inspire the next generation to discover careers in a modern manufacturing industry driven by innovation, ingenuity, and advanced technology.
With an exuberant passion for supporting young people to find the right career path tailored for them and help them to reach their full potential, Sarah is responsible for connecting students, educators, and schools with industry partners to nurture relationships and build career pathways and opportunities.
“When people hear ‘manufacturing’, many still think of the outdated perceptions associated with it, but the reality is that the manufacturing industry touches everything,” says Sarah. “It is filled with incredibly skilled, creative, technical people, quietly innovative, problem-solving and building the things that make Queensland run. That is what drives me; Showing young people the true scale of what manufacturing actually is and the many paths they can take and helping them find their place in it.”
Through her role, Sarah leads the Manufacturing and Engineering Gateway to Industry Schools (GISP) project, focused on bridging the gap between education and the workforce. Aimed at driving awareness of the multitude of career pathways available in manufacturing, the GISP delivers hands-on learning experiences that bring manufacturing directly into the classrooms. For Sarah, this means going beyond brochures and career talks, devising real-world experiences and opportunities that cut through the noise to create a spark in the minds of students.
“Schools and industry partners both have packed calendars, so we have to be creative about how we deliver learning experiences,” says Sarah. “We deliver Virtual Reality workshops, on-site visits, interactive online resources, conferences, building kits; a multitude of outlets that let students see manufacturing directly in front of their eyes.
“You can tell a student a thousand times that manufacturing is a smart, lucrative career choice, but putting them on a factory floor watching a rocket cooling system get built and they are seeing precision, technology, and innovation in action. It’s a far more powerful influence then any poster or book could make.”
Importantly, Sarah’s work doesn’t just stop in the classroom. Teachers, career advisors, and parents all play critical roles in the development and decision making of students, making it important that they too are educated on the potential the industry holds.
“Students are heavily influenced by the older individuals around them. If those voices are carrying outdated assumptions about manufacturing, that view will be reinforced to the student,” explains Sarah. “So, a huge part of our focus is to educate the educators, making sure they have the knowledge, resources, and understanding to see the breadth of opportunity available in the industry and pass this on to the students they’re guiding.”
As the manufacturing industry in Queensland continues to evolve at a rapid pace with new opportunities coming online every day, a key component of building the messaging delivered to students and educators involves Sarah ingraining herself in industry conversations to build relationships with manufacturers and utilize their expertise and knowledge.
“The manufacturing industry spans so many sub-industries that no single conversation or program can capture all of it. So, we lean heavily on relationships. I can’t be the expert in every area of the industry, but we can know that people who are, and connect those students, educators, and families to the right voice at the right moment. That network is easily our biggest asset,” said Sarah.
These relationships also enable Sarah to facilitate career pathways opportunities, whether that be work experience, pathways to a trade, or traineeship and apprenticeship commencements, ensuring students can explore and find the right fit for them.
If you are a manufacturer interested in supporting the Gateway to Industry Schools project or would like to speak with MSQ about work placement or school tour opportunities, connect with Sarah today by visiting https://msq.org.au/programs/gateway-to-industry-schools-program/.