Moranbah students swap school bags for tool bags
Budding apprentices will be creating electrical circuits, assembling pumps and using a virtual welder as part of the ‘Tradie for a Day’ workshop for Year 10 students at Moranbah State High School.
The workshop facilitated by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) and supported by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) will give the students a practical understanding of what it means to be a ‘tradie’ as they participate in a range of trades-based activities under the guidance of resource industry tradespeople and apprentices.
Moranbah State High School principal, Michelle Pole, said the workshop was perfectly timed as the Year 10 students were starting to contemplate their future.
“Many of our students are keen to enter a trade, and the Tradie for a Day workshop is a great opportunity for them to sample the activities performed by a tradesperson and talk to experienced tradespeople and apprentices from the BMA,” said Ms Pole.
“This workshop has given the students valuable insights into what it means to be a tradesperson and the important role they play in the resources sector.”
BMA’s Goonyella Riverside General Manager Vaughn Abrams said the students were not the only ones to benefit from the workshop.
“It is a great opportunity for our team to share their expertise and career stories with young people who could potentially join our workforce in the future,” he said.
“BMA is committed to investing in the next generation of apprentices and creating jobs for people in the local community.”
QRC Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Ms Katrina-Lee Jones said the Tradie for a Day workshop was a great way to showcase career pathways available to both female and male students interested in pursuing a trade role in mining after school.
“The number of women working in trade roles in the resource sector is now at a record 13 per cent and we’d like to see it continue to rise by encouraging more female students take up apprenticeships,” said Ms Jones.
“Automation engineers, electricians and heavy diesel fitters are some of the roles in high demand,” she said.
“The resources sector is a major employer of Queenslanders and plays a critical role in our economy – today’s workshop is about engaging with the students and inspiring them to consider a vocational career in an industry that is exciting and rewarding.”
The QMEA is the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council and Australia’s most successful industry-led education and schools initiative. The QMEA seeks to broaden student and teacher understanding of professional and trade career opportunities in the resources sector, creating a talent pipeline for industry.
The QMEA is a partnership between the QRC, industry sponsors and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program.