Year 10 students from four Mackay high schools are the first young women in 2025 to be part of a Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy’s (QMEA) Tradies for Day workshop.

The twenty female students developed their trade skills and knowledge through a hands-on workshop of trades-based activities including electrical circuits, virtual welding and assembling a pump.

The QMEA is the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) and QRC Director for Skills, Education and Diversity, Katrina-Lee Jones said there had been a steady increase of women joining the resources sector in trade roles.

“Over one in ten tradespeople in our industry are women,” said Ms Jones.

“Which is a big increase from a generation ago when women were more likely to be working in traditional administrative roles,” said Ms Jones.

“It is great to see young women, like the Year 10 students at this workshop, pursuing their trade studies at school with the aim of seeking an apprenticeship in the future.”

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.

Students attended the workshop from: Pioneer SHS, Sarina SHS, Mackay Northern Beaches SHS and Mackay SHS.

The trade workshop was sponsored by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA).

Click here for workshop photos.