The Thebarton Senior College in Torrensville, South Australia, opened last month, and aims to kick-start careers in mining, metal, engineering and construction, the Portside Messenger reports.

Principal Kim Hebenstreit said pupils were learning welding and metal fabrication techniques. “(Students) will get the opportunity to become familiar with what they will see when they move into the workforce and have the confidence and the skills to apply for jobs in high-tech manufacturing industries,” Mr Hebenstreit said.

Australian Mining reports that Jay Weatherill, the next premier of South Australia, has unveiled a new strategy to up-skill workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to fill jobs in the mining and defence industries.

According to Weatherill, there is a continuing rise in demand for people with STEM skills in the mining and defence industries. The SA government has mapped all the STEM work being done in South Australia by government, industry and the community sector so that more than 55 programs can be harnessed to deliver the greatest possible benefit for the economy.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports on an Australian study shows that vocational education and training (VET) prepares workers more completely for the workforce if they are instructed in the fundamentals of their industry rather than focussing on learning specific competencies.

The study looked at the mining, solar energy and computer games industries. It found the VET system could not cope with always delivering courses that were highly specific to particular companies and continuously-changing knowledge and skills. "But VET can provide people with the capability to learn and adapt to innovation-induced change," the report says.

Kim Parker, Amanda Lenhart, and Kathleen Moore from the Pew Research Centre report on two surveys conducted in spring, 2011, showing that opinions differ between college presidents and the public on the value of online learning in higher education.

This report is based on findings from a pair of Pew Research Center surveys conducted in spring 2011. One is a telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of 2,142 adults ages 18 and older. The other is an online survey, done in association with the Chronicle of Higher Education, among the presidents of 1,055 two-year and four-year private, public, and for-profit colleges and universities.

Northern Ontario Business: The Haileybury School of Mines in Haileybury, Ontario, currently used to train mining engineering technicians, is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

In 2012, the internationally renowned Haileybury School of Mines, as part of Northern College, celebrates its 100th anniversary. “The school had its beginnings in Cobalt, however short that was, but has been in Haileybury ever since,” said Brian Dobbs, a professor at the Haileybury campus of Northern College.

Immersive technologies has certified the 100th graduate of its TrainerAdvantage program for simulator training supervisors, reports Canadian Mining Journal.

Graduates are certified on three levels including classroom and hands-on sessions with the simulators under the tutelage of an Immersive Technologies instructor. Each level builds on the previous one as trainers' proficiency grows from basic operation to advanced administration and management. The TrainerAdvantage program was launched in 2006.

The JB Marks Education Trust Fund, a major source of bursaries in Australia for those in the mine, energy and construction industries and their dependants, has selected a judging panel for its 2011 awards, reports The Marketing Site.

The JB Marks Education Trust Fund in conjunction with the Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC) celebrates disadvantaged student heroes who have excelled in spite of difficult circumstances. These awards are awarded to student achievers who make a success of the tertiary education opportunities created by the fund’s bursary scheme.

A workshop designed for media practitioners and residents affected by mining in eastern Ghana was held by WACAM (Wassa Association of Communities […]

Thompson Citizen: A group of aboriginal and northern youth have graduated from the MKO Resource Rangers program at Egg Lake in northern Manitoba, readied by the industry-based training program for careers in Manitoba's natural resource sectors.

It aims to prepare aboriginal youth aged 15 to 18 for employment and careers in forestry, mining, hydro energy, conservation and other Northern Manitoba natural resource sectors. Comprising classroom training and hands-on work experience, the Resource Rangers program is five weeks long delivered through partners including MKO, industrial employers, the provincial government, the home communities of participants and the Frontier School Division. Students who complete the program may be eligible for high school credits through the Frontier School Division.

The internet is poised to transform education. Jane Hart, the Founder of the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies, presents Knewton's infographic on the state of digital education as her pick of the day, exploring the state of digital education.

The Queensland state government has made an agreement with resource companies to fill skills gaps in the mining boom with members of coastal communities with high unemployment, Mining Weekly reports.

Premier Anna Bligh said the agreement to hold Work for Queensland jobs expos was reached at a summit between senior resource companies on the Gold Coast, with the expos to be held in Cairns, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, the Whitsunday region and Wide Bay Burnett starting in October. “This is about giving people choice and opportunity. We have significant numbers of Queenslanders, particularly in some regional areas, out of work and yet the mining industry is facing a skills shortage," Bligh said.

Chairman of BHP Billiton Jac Nasser has called for construction of a resources centre in Australia to address the skills shortage in the resources industry, reports Adelaide Now.

Nasser said Australia could suffer a decline in living standards unless it lifts its productivity levels through initiatives such as creating a ``global resources centre of excellence''. "Without productivity improvements, it's hard to see how Australia can address the challenges that we face, including climate change, an ageing population and a high exchange rate,'' Mr Nasser told a luncheon in Sydney on Wednesday.