MUCH has been written lately about water strategy and initiatives on all three levels
of government.

Similarly, the need for an upgrade of our infrastructure, roads, additional bridges, tunnels and rapid transit have also been hot topics. This highlights a lack of future planning for both our water and transport infrastructure that has resulted in quick remedies and no steadfast plan for the future. I'm not highlighting or casting blame - the problem is there and it is pleasing to see it is now being addressed.

The purpose of this article and the reason I mentioned the above is really to point out that we should not wait until an issue reaches boiling point before we address it.

An issue that has reared its head in the past few years is the lack of skilled tradespeople. Education requires forward planning and I'm not saying that our current system is flawed, but I would like to reach out to the business community and State Government to work together to further enhance the education system.

In reviewing the educational journey of our children, there are two main areas to focus on - secondary school and the commencement of tertiary education.

At the secondary school level, I believe it is necessary to introduce life study subjects to the curriculum for years 8-12. This alone will ignite vigorous debate on which subjects to introduce and which to curtail, but I feel it is a debate worth having.

I don't profess to be an expert on the education system, but my input comes from two sides - one from the side of an employer and the qualities I look for in employees and the other as a father of four children (three sons currently studying at university and a daughter entering year 8 next year). Of course, there are other interest groups which should have input - such as religious education and the arts and cultural community.

Life study subjects would be in lieu of the current 'social studies' and 'general studies' classes and would contain useful skills or information students need as they develop into stable young adults - life skills that will be useful no matter what level and what field of study they wish to pursue.

Examples include:

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It is important these subjects are recognised and credited towards students' OP results. They are more important to me than arts, ancient history, Latin and French (I personally wish I didn't do these subjects when I was at school and had the opportunity to choose the above suggestions). I'm not downplaying the traditional subjects - I just feel there should be a choice as the life study options are so relevant to today's youth.

I hope the education professionals can take my ideas on board, build around these suggestions and develop a suitable course.

Government should also hold the view that the most precious thing in our lives is the next generation and if we don't give them life skills and life's wisdom in this changing world, they will needlessly struggle. The most positive aspect about providing this support to our youth is that it won't cost a lot of money and with the surplus of GST, there should be no reason why the State and Federal Governments can't get together and make it happen.

In all fairness, I have not yet written to the Premier Peter Beattie regarding my thoughts and this is the first article I have written on the issue, but I promise you - I will follow it up.

Another issue I feel strongly about is a gap year for school leavers. I believe after finishing year 12, school leavers should have the opportunity to take some time off to get some work experience and decide what really interests them in terms of their future career.

One way to encourage this is to have a system where school leavers are actually rewarded for taking some time off and making an informed decision on the area in which they want to study. If their OP score does not give them the necessary result to get into a particular course, perhaps a percentage can be added to their marks when they appear to be focused and committed to completing the course, giving them special consideration.

It makes sense to have committed, focused students enrolled in courses - rather than those who come straight from school with no direction and who may drop out.

An education campaign should be implemented at the secondary level to encourage students to consider apprenticeships, trades or even the idea of working for a couple of years to get a clear idea of their career path before they enter further study.

At this level, it should be bipartisan, funded by both the Federal and State Governments. I know first hand in the hospitality and building industries that there is a shortage of tradesmen, yet these tradesmen can be very successful and add a lot of value to our society. Let's get away from defining success as having mobile phones, Gucci handbags, fancy watches and driving a BMW.

It is more fitting that we tell the younger generation that success is measured by family values, a long-term focus in life on the goals you want to achieve and community involvement - and that these achievements do not necessarily need to be put on a pedestal for everyone to see.

The youth of today are tomorrow's workforce. We need to support them and give them all of life's lessons, advice and opportunities for them to succeed. Education is not the be-all and end-all,

However, it is the type of education
that will shape our youth, our children and our future workforce that will make them life ready.