On Tuesday 4 September 2018, CORE Skills formally launched its ‘Geoscientist to Data Scientist’ pilot program along with industry foundation collaborators Roy Hill, Rio Tinto, ATCO Australia, and academic partners: CSIRO, Curtin University and The University of Western Australia at CORE Innovation Hub in the Perth CBD.
The pilot program addresses how resources sector leaders, geoscientists and engineers will contribute to value creation of industry organisations through data science, while empowering individuals to ensure their skills remain both relevant and valuable.
In establishing CORE Skills as the go to connecting hub for a new Community of Practice, the program will support the growth of data sciences within the resources and energy sector. Given the urgency of this skills shortage, fast and effective delivery is a priority.
“Digital technologies and the resulting flood of data promise to re-order the resources sector as we know it. We must learn what it takes to harness opportunities to overcome known resource sector challenges in the Data Science era, and embrace the disruptive context we are in. Complacency in today’s paradigm is a career and company limiting move,” said CORE Innovation Hub CEO Tamryn Barker.
CORE Innovation Hub Team Emma Veenema, Tamryn Barker, Sophie Hancock.
Dr Sophie Hancock, CORE Skills Catalyst and Pilot Lead, said that being able to make informed, rapid decisions in the face of over $1 trillion in economic impact due to digital transformation will be the ultimate power for an industry organisation in the next decade.
“We are creating peer groups of industry leadership and technical project roles in resources companies to act as a community. Together, we are building a talent pool with greater data science literacy. If participants think they grasped the opportunities of applying the tools the first time within the program, it is going to be an order of magnitude more powerful applying the learning in follow on projects back in their organisations,” Hancock clarified.
CORE Skills Catalyst and Pilot Lead Dr Sophie Hancock presenting.
The CORE Skills industry pilot is comprised of two specific course products: a 1-day executive education program aimed at a new type of senior leader needed to successfully steer companies through the digital transition, and a 12-week, one day a week professionals program aimed at repurposing capability effectively to match evolving skills requirements.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Chris Salisbury said:
“We are committed to investing in our people and continue to look for new ways to help them learn, innovate and share knowledge. This pilot is not only a great example of how we can pioneer innovative learning solutions to provide our people with the opportunity to grow and develop in their roles, but it also could become a model for upskilling our people in a number of fields.
“Our industry is rapidly changing and with our first ‘intelligent mine’ Koodaideri on the horizon it’s critically important we are able to transform data and statistics into business intelligence,” he said.
CORE Skills Geoscientist to Data Scientist Pilot Program.
Amy Stanley, ATCO’s General Manager, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs, said the CORE Skills Pilot provides a great opportunity for the resources and infrastructure sectors to work together.
“By applying data analytics, both sectors can benefit from insights from each other and deliver greater value – to our business, to clients and partners, and to the broader community,” she said.
CORE Skills pilot program discussions in full swing.
Individuals or organisations interested in future course delivery beyond the pilot should contact Dr Sophie Hancock at [email protected] or fill in an Expression of Interest form at http://corehub.com.au/skills.