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Brisbane’s booming resources and energy sector is bustling with exciting career opportunities, especially for females with an interest in becoming a tradie, technician, or engineer.

The Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) officially kicked off its 2023 program this week, with a series of breakfasts and workshops, thanks to support from the Queensland Government’s Office for Women.

This morning, 20 female Year 10 students from Brisbane schools plus 20 women from the Brisbane school community including teachers and mothers attended the Girls Exploring Trades & Technologies (GETT) in Resources event.

QRC Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Ms Katrina-Lee Jones said this newly created program, delivered for the first time in Rockhampton on Tuesday, is all about encouraging  females of all ages into traditionally male-dominated fields of study and employment, particularly in the resources sector.

“Six events across Brisbane, Rockhampton, and Townsville are being delivered for the first time by the QMEA, allowing young women who may be undecided on a career pathway as well as mature women wanting to re-enter the workforce to learn about the fantastic career opportunities on offer in the industry,” Ms Jones said.

“This initiative supports the QRC’s efforts to create a more diversified and inclusive workforce that attracts more females into non-traditional roles, including our ambitious diversity target of 30 per cent female participation by 2026.

“Comprising a breakfast event and industry panel, followed by an engaging, hands-on, half-day workshop in each city, GETT in Resources is showcasing activities and technical disciplines that correlate with the enduring skill shortages in trades and technologies.”

During the breakfast panel made up of mainly females working in trade and professional roles, attendees heard about personal experiences, challenges, and career opportunities available in the resources and energy sector.

Manager – Capability with Hastings Deering, Ms Katrina Shaw said she always wanted to be part of something that makes a real difference to people’s lives and a strong purpose.

“The best things about working in the industry I am part of is innovation and change,” Ms Shaw said.

“I love that the resource sector continues to thrive on innovation be it towards modern technologies, or environmental sustainability – it is an industry that demands evolution and that is such an exciting industry to be a part of.”

After the breakfast panel, participants moved onto an interactive workshop focussing on skills and roles in high demand, showcasing the resources sector’s use and development of cutting-edge technologies now and in the future.

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 89 schools and is a partnership between the QRC and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program.

This initiative supports the Queensland Women’s strategy’s ‘Participation and Leadership’ goals of increasing female participation in occupations and industries such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), in the resources sector.