The dynamic world of global supply chain management is being brought to Australian classrooms.
The RACE Gippsland programme – standing for Raising Aspirations in Careers and Education – aims to inspire students to think about a career in agriculture, particularly beyond the farm gate.
Led by CQUniversity, with support from Australian supply chain intelligence provider Escavox, the programme will have an initial focus on the Victorian farming region of Gippsland. It will be available to educators Australia-wide after its roll-out.
Escavox CEO Luke Wood said inspiring the next generation of supply chain managers and post-harvest technologists was a key motivator behind the company’s move to back the RACE Gippsland concept.
“We are a young company at the forefront of the ag-tech evolution that will carry agriculture into the future,” Wood explained.
“To be globally competitive in this space it is critical we are equipping our students of today to be the innovators and leaders of tomorrow.”
One aspect of the project is to create learning modules using real industry technology systems to illustrate the high-tech nature of the agricultural sector.
The curriculum is designed to be “hands-on, interactive and engaging”, according to Dr Nicole McDonald, a senior research officer at CQUniversity.
“Agriculture is such a broad industry, and we need to showcase the many difference types of skills and knowledge that are required to lead to a range of exciting careers,” McDonald said.
“The vast number of careers available demand a broad set of skills and interests, from science, maths and IT, but also business, marketing, trade, logistics management and international diplomacy.”
Students who are part of the RACE Gippsland project will have access to their own purpose-built Escavox dashboard or ‘user-interface’ as it is known in the business.
They will be able to take part in modules that simulate the supply of produce from Gippsland to all parts of the world, where the safe and successful delivery of that product depends on the decisions they take during the exercise.
“What Escavox has provided is a perfect platform for increasing the digital literacy of young people – conducting searches, analysing problems by interpreting the data, investigating options for corrective action and shortlisting solutions,” McDonald said.
“But beyond all of those skills it drives home the message of the critical role that technology plays in helping to feed the people on our planet. It’s giving students in this programme tangible information with real-world outcomes and that’s a great gift from Escavox to Australian educators and their students.”
