Then, proving there is invariably an exception to the rule, was a story about a group of Sydney year 11 chemistry students who have devised a way to synthesise a drug at a fraction of the cost it is being sold by the big pharmaceutical company that holds its patent.

Quite apart from the obviously impressive scientific knowledge being employed, the sense of social justice motivating the students is something their peers and parents should be immensely proud of.  

The drug they are working on is used to treat HIV and malaria so by finding a way to recreate it so cheaply they are helping to find a solution to a global problem. And they haven’t even sat their HSC.

In recent weeks, we have at the Register been privileged to host some incredibly impressive Workplace Learning students from local secondary schools.

From Years 9 and 10, they have displayed attributes highly sough after by employers: intelligence, motivation, a thirst for knowledge, an ability to think on their feet and a desire to be part of the team.

Above all, they have been confident enough to attend a workplace and get through a week of sometimes challenging tasks. They have interviewed people, taken photographs and had stories published online and in print. The return on investment for us, as employers, is that when they have completed their tertiary studies – hopefully in journalism after their work experience placements – our company will have their contact details on file.

We are in a sense recruiting for the future. More importantly we’re involved in preparing young people for the workforce. Being work-ready is a stumbling block for many young people. We hope our investment of time and tuition serves our work experience students as a valuable lesson.

With a local economic growth rate topping the national rate and local employers still struggling to find workers will the requisite skills, we believe participating in the Workplace Learning program is one step local businesses can take to help address this disconnect.