He was able speak to the girls remotely using Skype, a technology that enables televised communication and videoconferencing over the internet.

Although this kind of technology is now available for people to use with their webcams at home, the school’s public, educational link-up is one of the first of its kind for Armidale.

The Year 11 business students hoped to find out information to help them with initial preparations for their 2010 Higher School Certificate (HSC).

Minna Lethbridge, Andrea Abeyasekera and Grace Quiddington were the three students chosen to ask questions, as their peers looked on.

Mr Koch said Australians had every reason to feel optimistic about the economy, despite bleak media predictions during the highly publicised global financial crisis.

“Australia is well set up for the next 10 years,” he said.

“We have an incredibly well-managed economy, an educated and skilled population and a job shortage in a range of industries, so there’s plenty of work.”

Although Mr Koch said the economies in China, the US, the UK and parts of Europe are in a ‘woeful’ state, Australia is in a good position, thanks to sound economic management.

“Australia has experienced economic growth for 19 consecutive years,” he said.

“This has never happened in Australia before.”

Sunrise producer and ex-PLC girl Steph Hunt instigated the Skype link-up.

Ms Hunt said it was great that the PLC girls had the chance to speak to ‘one of the greatest economic minds Australia’s got’.

The Skype link was part of a two-week program of activities PLC is putting on at the Plaza.

PLC students will showcase the school through a series of choral performances, storytelling and drama sessions, art and science demonstrations, dance and string quartet performances.