Swimming goggles were not required but laboratory safety goggles were at water workshops at two Roma schools this week.

The ‘Water4All’ workshop gave Year 7 students at Roma State College and St John’s Catholic College a deeper understanding of how water is managed in the resources industry and the importance of water treatment processes.

The workshops were delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) in partnership with Senex Energy. The QMEA is the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).

Katrina-Lee Jones, QRC Policy Director – Skills, Education and Diversity, said the Water4All workshop was designed to give students hands-on experiments expanding on concepts being studied in the Year 7 science and geography curriculum.

“The students have been introduced to the process of water filtration and this workshop builds on that knowledge with laboratory experiments investigating water quality including pH levels and turbidity,” said Ms Jones.

“These experiments give the students a practical understanding of why water management is important for industry and the community.”

Senex Energy’s Community Relations Manager, Trevor Robertson said the Senex team assisting with the workshop were impressed with the students’ skills and interest in the energy sector.

“Interaction with the students provided opportunities to discuss the diverse types of careers available from studying STEM in water management,” said Mr Robertson.

“We’re proud to partner with the QMEA to deliver educational programs that get local students excited about studying STEM subjects.

“Hopefully the workshop has inspired Roma’s budding STEM enthusiasts to pursue careers in the broader gas industry and perhaps one day even with Senex Energy.”