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A continued investment in talent and skills is giving Sunshine Coast’s emerging workforce a competitive edge in the global marketplace.

$300m

Education infrastructure

100+

Training organisations

83,500

Students

Where young tech minds flourish

The region is now recognised as a place where emerging tech talent, young techpreneurs and STEM high achievers flourish (Science, Technology Engineering and Math). Multi-million-dollar investments are underway in the education sector, creating opportunities for young tech minds.

University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) is part of the Queensland STEM education network, a consortium of universities providing programs to build STEM capacity in Queensland.

Schools across the region are leading the way in STEM innovation and many are winning awards nationally and internationally. Baringa State Primary School opened in 2018 and is Queensland’s first dedicated STEM school.

Image: RoboCoast, Sunshine Coast Robotics

Coding and Innovation Hub

Established by Mountain Creek State High School in 2015, the Coding and Innovation Hub provides professional development opportunities for teachers and classes in advanced coding for students. The hub promotes lean startup and design principles and fosters the development of innovative partnerships between schools and the community.

RoboCoast: Sunshine Coast Robotics

Chancellor State College, Mountain Creek State High School and the wider Sunshine Coast community have developed RoboCoast, a hub of schools that promotes the uptake of robotics and coding through staff and student training as well as fun robotics competitions.

RoboCoast and UniSC are partnering to host the first annual RoboRAVE Australia, a large international robotics tournament, at UniSC in 2020. RoboCoast has been chosen to be the annual Australian event organiser, with a view to hosting RoboRAVE International in 2024, in partnership with UniSC.

Generation Innovation

The first of its kind in the world, this annual challenge is for 15-25-year olds wanting to start their own business. Over the past four years, almost 150 participants have been mentored and educated on entrepreneurship, resulting in 14 youth-led businesses being launched and raising over $39,000 in seed funding from the local community.

CoderDojo

This global network of free computer programming clubs teaches young people between the ages of seven and 17 how to code, develop websites, apps, programs, games and more! CoderDojo Sunshine Coast aims to make development and learning to code a fun and sociable activity. A strong emphasis is placed on using open source and free software.

Awards and prizes

This global network of free computer programming clubs teaches young people between the ages of seven and 17 how to code, develop websites, apps, programs, games and more! CoderDojo Sunshine Coast aims to make development and learning to code a fun and sociable activity. A strong emphasis is placed on using open source and free software.

Join our thriving knowledge industries community

The Sunshine Coast is rapidly growing a reputation for digital innovation and is one of the world’s Top 7 Intelligent Communities for 2019 and 2020. The knowledge industry provides more than 21,000 jobs, with employment growth expected to exceed 135% over the next 20 years, bringing exciting career opportunities for young tech minds and knowledge-based businesses.

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Hotel Investment Incentives

If you build, own or operate hotels - the Sunshine Coast wants to talk to you! On 26 August, Council took a strong step forward in attracting new hotel development in the region by approving part one of a specialised package of incentives to encourage new hotel construction and operation within specific areas of the Sunshine Coast.