Click here for photos of ‘Beakers.Bots.Build’.

Click here for photos of ‘Trade Makers’.

Students from Collinsville State High School are this week unearthing a world of thrilling career opportunities in Queensland’s resources and energy sector, thanks to an unforgettable learning adventure and mine site tour delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA).

About 40 Year 9 and 10 students are embarking on a unique three-day experience that is sure to ignite sparks of inspiration to pursue rewarding careers in mining thanks to support from Glencore Coal.

QMEA Director, Ms Katrina-Lee Jones said the program will immerse students on the precipice of choosing subjects for the final years of secondary school in exciting, hands-on activities that explore trade roles, and science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) professions.

“This week, students will get the extraordinary opportunity to go behind the scenes of Glencore Coal’s Collinsville mine to witness impressive machinery in action, awe-inspiring engineering feats, and the various fascinating jobs on offer in the industry,” Ms Jones said.

“This is a chance for students to see firsthand how choosing vocational or tertiary education pathways into the resources and energy sector can help them to be part of things like technological innovation, and decarbonisation in the mining industry – both of which are important to this generation.”

Glencore Coal’s Human Resources Manager, Mr Anthony Exelby said before stepping into the shoes of a Collinsville mine site worker on Thursday, Year 9 students are today participating in the QMEA’s popular ‘Beakers.Bots.Build’ workshop.

“With hands-on activities that challenge the mind and incite the imagination, students are delving into the wonders of STEM as they program Lego EV3 robots to autonomously drive around a simulated mine site, using mirrors and geometry to manoeuvre a beam of light around an obstacle, and working in teams to design and construct a device that replicates an automatic coal sorter,” Mr Exelby said.

“By integrating fun tasks that cleverly complement their classroom learning, we hope this experience will encourage students to continue their STEM studies, leading them to rewarding careers at Glencore Coal, or the broader mining industry.”

Collinsville State High School Principal, Mrs Anna Reeves said tomorrow, the action-packed learning adventure continues with a ‘Trade Markers’ workshop for Year 10 students, showcasing the many apprenticeship opportunities available to those eager to pursue vocational pathways.

“In the safety of their classroom environment, and under the guidance of skilled apprentices and tradespeople from Glencore Coal, students will tomorrow rotate through various trade activities like auto electrics, engineering measurement, pneumatics, welding principles, and engineering drawing,” Mrs Reeves said.

“The STEM and trades workshops this week, coupled with an unparalleled site tour on Thursday to conclude the education extravaganza, aims to show students the diverse career opportunities on offer in the local resources sector.”

As Australia’s largest and most successful industry-led education and schools 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 industry and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program.