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Students from Bundaberg State High School are excitedly navigating and constructing their career pathways at a Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) workshop today (21 July), thanks to support from Evolution Mining.

The QMEA, the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) is delivering its Beakers.Bots.Build workshop to a cohort of enthusiastic Year 9 students, giving them an insight into the exciting career opportunities the resources sector has to offer.

QRC Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Ms Katrina-Lee Jones said this workshop cleverly captures the versatility of the different technical roles young men and women can pursue in mining through engaging, hands-on activities that have real-world applications.

“Students will be completing tasks that simulate everyday challenges and opportunities relating to the resources and energy sector,” Ms Jones said.

“From chemical processing to robotics and programming, students will work alongside industry professionals as they put their science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) skills to the test.

“The workshop activities showcase how classroom learning and STEM fundamentals can be applied in an exciting and innovative industry, offering local employment in the Bundaberg region.”

Evolution Mining Mt Rawdon General Manager, Joe Mammen said partnering with local schools through initiatives such as the QMEA supports Evolution’s ambition of creating a positive legacy for the communities in which it operates.

“With sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our minds, Mt Rawdon is currently undertaking a feasibility study to convert an open pit into a pumped hydro water reservoir, post completion of mining,” he said.

“To do this, Evolution will rely on the skills and expertise of its workforce, and we want to encourage the next generation to consider pursuing a rewarding career at Evolution Mining.”

Bundaberg State High School Principal, Mr Chris Gill said students were particularly excited about the ‘Bots’ component of the workshop today.

“Students will be programming Lego EV3 robots today, coding them to autonomously move around a quadrant that simulates a mini-mine site,” Mr Gill said.

“Technological innovation is transforming so many local industries, and today’s workshop is a great way to show the students how robotics and machine learning are being used in the local resources sector, which they could very well be working in.”

As Australia’s largest and most successful industry-led education and schools training initiative, the QMEA seeks to broaden student and teacher knowledge of career opportunities in resources.

The academy encourages a talent pipeline of employees into vocational and professional careers, with a focus on female and Indigenous participation. The QMEA currently engages with over 90 schools and is a partnership between the QRC and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program.