Click here for photos of Water: Yours, Ours, Mine at Cloncurry State School.

Click here for photos of Water: Yours, Ours, Mine at St Joseph’s Catholic School.

Year Seven students from Cloncurry State School P-12 and St Joseph’s Catholic School have taken part in a workshop to learn how the resources industry manages precious water resources.

It comes as the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), the education wing of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) announced the renewal of its partnership with globally diversified mining and metals company South32 for another three years, helping to support valuable learning experiences for students in the Townsville and Cloncurry regions.

QRC Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Ms Katrina-Lee Jones said the first South32-sponsored QMEA workshop for 2023 took place on Tuesday, with about 30 Cloncurry students exploring the science of water and how it’s managed in the resources and energy sector.

“Water: Yours, Ours, Mine is an innovative workshop that allows students to evaluate the effectiveness of different filtration materials by getting their hands on water treatment experiments that use cutting-edge data-logging technology to collect and analyse real-time water quality data,” Ms Jones said.

“The program teaches students about the importance of responsible water management in the resources sector, and they participate in activities that enable them to experience this first-hand.

South32 Cannington Vice President Operations Joe Russell said the company was delighted to renew its partnership with the QMEA, and continue to support skills development in areas such as science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) and trades, helping to grow a sustainable local talent pipeline.

“We are pleased to extend our support for the QMEA workshops. As well as supporting local skills development, the workshops are a great opportunity for local students to gain an insight into the work we do at South32 Cannington and why that work is important,” Mr Russell said.

“At South32, we produce commodities that are critical for the transition to a low carbon world, including metals such as silver and lead that are required for the production of solar panels, wind turbines and batteries for electric vehicles.”

Cloncurry State School P-12, Principal Mrs Victoria Menkins said students were keen to apply their collaboration, analytical, and laboratory skills to a real-world situation.

“Our students are eager to understand how their classroom learning will apply to life after school, and this workshop cleverly links the national science curriculum to an industry-related challenge,” Mrs Menkins said.

“Having experienced professionals from South32 mentor them through science lessons while helping them solve one of the most pressing challenges that society faces like water management, is an invaluable opportunity for our students and a clever extension of their STEM learning.”

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