MCB Business Partners – Government & Industry backing to activate programs that link classrooms, industry and community to build real awareness and opportunities for young people across the Australia’s evolving economy
Young Minds, Big Impact: Supporting the Future Makers Collaborative STEM Journey
We’re proud to be involved as supporters and sponsors of this program, standing alongside an incredible ecosystem of educators, industry partners, and community leaders who are collectively reshaping what’s possible for students across the Illawarra.
From Practice to Publication: Why Creativity Matters in Building Stronger Communities
We’re excited to share an important milestone for MCB Business Partners. A chapter co‑authored by our CEO, Duncan Burck, has just been published in The Elephant’s Leg II — a curated collection exploring creativity in action across technology, economic development, and social innovation. While publication is an achievement in its own right, what makes this chapter particularly meaningful is what …
What Do Young People Really Know About Net Zero?
As Australia accelerates toward a net‑zero future, one question continues to surface in our work with schools, industry, and government: What do young people actually understand about Net Zero — and do they see it as a future career opportunity? To help answer that, we recently completed two student surveys: The insights were eye‑opening — and reinforce why early, well‑designed …
From Service to Tech: Why Straight Talkers Matter When You’re Building Something New
Every business evolution has a moment where someone asks the uncomfortable question. For us at MCB Business Partners, that moment came more than two years ago — and it came from a straight talker. Catching up with Adam Boyle at the recent Hunter Innovation Festival felt fitting. It was Adam’s push back then that nudged us from being purely a …
Place, Partnerships, and Prosperity: Duncan Burck Presents at the National Economic Development Conference
This week, MCB Business Partners CEO Duncan Burck is proud to be presenting at the Economic Development Australia (EDA) National Economic Development Conference, hosted right here in Newcastle. The conference brings together Australia’s leading economic development practitioners, policymakers, and place‑makers — and provides an important platform to test, challenge, and refine ideas that will shape the nation’s economic future. Duncan’s …
Why Net Z(ed) Matters: Building the Skills, Confidence, and Pathways for a Net‑Zero Future
We’re proud to share that MCB Business Partners has been quoted in a recent feature by the Australian Associated Press (AAP) Climate News team, highlighting our Net Z(ed) initiative and its role in preparing young Australians for a decarbonised future. 🔗 Read the AAP feature here:<https://aapnews.aap.com.au/a/oZawPtmdL> Being recognised by AAP is more than a milestone — it’s a validation of …
Imagining the Future Leader: Why Tomorrow’s CEOs Belong in Today’s Classrooms
Leadership is changing – fast The skills, mindsets, and behaviors that defined successful leaders a decade ago are no longer enough to navigate the complexity of today’s workforce, let alone the world our students will inherit. That’s why a recent interactive digital infographic from Korn Ferry, built on their extensive Global CEO engagement work, immediately caught our attention. It doesn’t …
Net Z(ed) – A Net Zero Education Collaboration to Inspire Our Future is Live!
We’re thrilled to announce that Net Z(ed)—our groundbreaking initiative connecting education, industry, government, and researchers—is now live! Net Z(ed) is a bold step towards helping teachers prepare young Australians for the opportunities emerging in our decarbonising economy and Net Zero future. This collaboration is built to ensure the next generation is informed, inspired, and ready to lead. Born in the …
From Student Ideas to Real‑World Impact
How the Sustainnovation Challenge Creates Pathways to the Future Workforce When we launched the Sustainnovation Challenge in 2021 as one of MCB Business Partners’ flagship programs, our goal was simple but ambitious: give young people a genuine voice and invite them to tackle real local challenges and opportunities. What we quickly learned, however, is that the most difficult part of …