Schools in south-east Queensland may be a long way from mining operations in regional Queensland but their participation and enthusiasm for QMEA Resources Skills Academy workshops displays a lot of interest in the industry.

Across Term 3 the QMEA Resources Skills Academy has delivered 34 school workshops and career activities to secondary students in nine schools in the Brisbane and Ipswich area.

QMEA has also welcomed new schools into their network, including Padua College in Kedron, demonstrating the education sector’s interest in engaging with the minerals and resources industry.

QMEA Director, Jen Hoyle, said schools appreciated how QMEA workshops gave students a new perspective to science concepts studied in the classroom.

“Schools recognise that QMEA workshops connect students’ science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) lessons to the real world of resources,” she said.

“This gives the students a deeper understanding of how STEM is integrated into resource operations and processes, and a better idea of the careers they can have in the sector.”

In addition to school workshops, senior students from south-east Queensland schools joined students from regional Queensland for a STEM camp in Dysart.

“It is important to give students from SEQ schools the experience of living and working in regional Queensland, and last week’s camp at Dysart, where the students visited BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) Saraji Mine had a big impact on those students,” said Ms Hoyle.

QMEA Resources Skills Academy was delighted to receive the Peter Doherty award for STEM Excellence in the Educational Partnership category, presented at a ceremony during National Science Week.

“The award from the Department of Education was a great honour and reflected on the impact our collaboration with schools has had over more than two decades,” said Ms Hoyle.

“The QMEA is focused on giving more students from south-east Queensland unique opportunities to connect with the resources industry and open their eyes to the potential careers they can have in our sector.”

For more information on careers in resources visit: shapeourfuture.com.au

List of school workshops and photo album links.

Careers information sessions were also held at St Edmund’s College, Ambrose Tracey College; Lourdes Hill College and Mansfield State High School.