Palaszczuk Government digital roadshows kick off in Rockhampton

A series of Palaszczuk Government digital skills roadshows kicks off in Rockhampton tomorrow (Wednesday) giving locals the chance to get hands-on with the latest technology.

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy Leeanne Enoch said daytime workshops will be held for Rockhampton students, teachers and librarians to learn about coding and robotics, drones, virtual reality and 3D printing.

Ms Enoch said some of the technologies will also be on display at a public expo tomorrow night.

“This will be the first of our Digital Skills for all Queenslanders roadshows, which are about engaging people with the new technology changing how we learn, work and socialise,” Ms Enoch said.

“The roadshows will also feature discussions on community needs around digital literacy.

“All Queenslanders, regardless of where they live, need to have digital skills to connect, interact, find employment, access services, research and improve their education and health outcomes, and we want to understand from the community how we can help them do that,” Ms Enoch said.

“Over the coming weeks, we’ll also be visiting people in Cairns, Longreach, Mount Isa and Bundaberg to talk with them about digital literacy in their communities and give them a taste of cutting-edge technology like drones, 3D printers and virtual reality.”

Member for Rockhampton Bill Byrne is encouraging the local community to take advantage of “this excellent opportunity’.

“It’s a fast changing world we live in, and we can all learn some new skills about how to interact with digital technologies, and consider the benefits and opportunities the digital age brings,” Mr Bryne said.

Advance Queensland Community Digital Champions Mic Black and Emily de la Pena have joined the roadshow to help regional communities improve their digital literacy skills and get excited about technology.

Inaugural Community Digital Champion Mic Black will be presenting a number of workshops including Add Wi-Fi to Everything for students, and a discussion called “Building the Future of Creative Technology: Makers for community leaders, teachers, librarians and local inventors”.

“Now, more than ever, is the time to explore creative uses of digital technologies through exploration, play and inventive thinking,” Mr Black said.

“I’m excited to be part of this event and hope to share knowledge with and learn from regional communities to improve digital literacy and creative leadership across Queensland.”

Community Digital Champion Emily de la Pena is a strong advocate for the learning process that comes from basic digital skills and will be running workshops to introduce both teachers and students to coding skills, as well as advocate digital teaching methods.

“Coding is a force for change in this world and I am really looking forward to showing young children the basics of coding and helping teachers to incorporate technology into the classroom,” Ms de la Pena said.

Workshops for students, teachers and librarians include “Coding and the Curriculum’, and “Robotics and Technology in the Classroom’.

Wednesday’s free public expo is from 4pm to 6pm at Rockhampton Regional Library.

The Queensland Government’s Digital Skills for all Queenslanders roadshows, run by the Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation, will also be held in Cairns on 31 May, Longreach on 7 June, Mount Isa on 15 June and Bundaberg on 20 and 21 June.

To register or for more information visit http://godigitalqld.dsiti.qld.gov.au/Digital-Skills-Roadshow

Advance Queensland is the Palaszczuk Government's $405 million whole-of-government initiative focusing on harnessing innovation to unlock business potential, grow our regions, foster new industries, and give future generations the necessary skills and knowledge for the jobs of tomorrow.

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