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Pioneer, Mackay Northern Beaches and Mackay State High School students have gathered some valuable hands-on trades experience at workshops conducted by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) this week.

Thanks to the generous support of BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) over forty Year 10 students from across the high schools attended Tradies for a Day workshops where they rotated through popular trade activities such as electrical circuits, mechanics, pneumatics, and welding under the guidance of experienced tradespeople from BMA.

Mackay State High School Acting Principal, Matt Reeves, said the virtual welding activity was particularly popular.

“Welding is not an activity we can normally do in school workshops, so the virtual welder was a great hit with the students,” Mr Reeves said.

Linda Murry, General Manager of BMA’s Hay Point Coal Terminal said learning directly from industry professionals helped students gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the resources and energy sector.

“The workshop was a great opportunity for our BHP and BMA teams to share their skills and their career experiences, giving the students a better idea of the apprenticeships and traineeships available to them at BMA and BHP’s Future Fit Academy,” said Ms Murry.

The Queensland Resources Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Katrina-Lee Jones, highlighted the growing demand for trade-based roles in the sector and said with further skill development and confidence many students would be well placed to pursue rewarding careers in the resources and energy sector.

These Year 10 students are approaching the crucial decision-making stage for their Year 11 and 12 subjects,” said Ms Jones.

“I hope the Tradies for a Day workshop will help them in making informed decisions about subject selection to pave the way for a bright future career in the trades.

The QMEA is Australia’s most successful industry-led education initiative designed to show school students how studying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and trades can open up a whole new world of career opportunities. It is part of the Gateway to Industry Schools program is supported and funded by the Queensland Government.