Click here for the Moura Oresome Trades camp photos.

It was more trade work and less homework for a group of fortunate Moura State High School students taking part in our recent Ore-some Trades camp.

The group of 12 senior students capped off the Term 3 with a one-week trade intensive camp delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) with the generous support of Anglo American, who provided experienced tradespeople to guide the students.

The Vocational Educational Training (VET) students also gathered insights into the role of different tradespeople on site with a visit to Anglo American’s Dawson mine site.

Ben Leis, Human Resources Manager at Anglo American’s Dawson Mine, said they were impressed with the students’ enthusiasm for a trades career.

“There is a continual demand for skilled tradespeople across our sites and the resources industry as a whole,” Mr Leis said.

“Camps like this are a great opportunity for the students to consolidate their trade preferences and explore apprenticeship pathways,” he said.

“Our team enjoyed showing the students around our Dawson mine, particularly as it is one of the longest established coal mines in Queensland and an integral part of the Moura community, with many students having a family member who has worked here.”

Vanessa Moller, Moura State High School principal said the camp offered the students the perfect blend of practical experience and career development advice.

“The students worked through a series of trade-based challenges and completed a special project, building a model light-vehicle with safety features suitable for use on a mine site,” Ms Moller said.

“While the students collaborated with Anglo American and QMEA experienced tradespeople to complete the project they were also having valuable discussions about trade career options and apprenticeship opportunities in resources,” she said.

“These conversations and experiences are invaluable for our senior trade students and I thank the QMEA and Anglo American for their support of the students over the week.”

This year the QMEA is celebrating 20 years of inspiring students to follow a trades or science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) study pathway with a focus on the many rewarding career opportunities in the resources sector.