Rockhampton, Gladstone, and Longreach State High Schools will be among those to benefit from the State Government’s education sector plans.

Member for Keppel and Assistant Education Minister Brittany Lauga spoke about the $45 million Local Schools Local Jobs plan this week.

She said the plan included upgraded training facilities in 26 secondary schools across the state in an effort to prepare students with the skills they need to move into secure, local work.

Rockhampton State High can expect a $2.5 million aquaculture training research facility as part of the invesment, Gladstone training facilities related to the hydrogen industry, and Longreach a $2.6 million automotive training centre.

“Skilling young Queenslanders is essential to ensure that our youngest and brightest minds are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow and Queensland’s economic recovery,” Ms Lauga said.

“It is about creating training opportunities for students at our local schools that match the local economy and the skills demand for that local economy.”

She said Central Queensland’s schools would be boosted by some of the 6200 teachers to be hired in the state over the next four years, along with more than 1,100 new teacher aides.

Ms Lauga told Parliament the recruitment drive was to meet student enrolment growth and maintain teacher to student ratios and class sizes.

She said Queensland schools were accepting 8,000 additional students every year.

“That means that we need to employ more teachers, we need to build more schools and we need to build more classrooms at our schools as well,” Ms Lauga said.

“Add this to our Turn to Teaching internship program to support 300 aspiring teachers to move into Queensland state schools, new homework centres in 120 schools, and free sanitary products into schools.”

She said that at the last election, Labor committed to a $1 billion boost to education infrastructure investment over the next four years.