Click here for Hunting Minerals, Metals and More at Marsden State High School
Click here for Lighting the Way at Marsden State High School
Click here for Hunting Minerals, Metals and More at Everton Park State High School.

A series of unique workshops recently delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) have sparked Brisbane students’ interest in a potential career in the resources and energy sector.

Thanks to support from Queensland Resources Council (QRC) member companies, about 180 Grade 8 and 9 students from Marsden and Everton Park state high schools bolstered their science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills across three separate educational experiences.

The QMEA is the education arm of the QRC.

QRC Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Ms Katrina-Lee Jones said the hands-on, collaborative workshops aim to encourage students to continue studying STEM subjects in their final years of senior school.

“The resources and energy sector employs some of the most skilled, and highest paid workers across a diverse range of roles, in various regional and metropolitan towns,” Ms Jones said.

“We hope these educational experiences have inspired these young men and women to pursue a rewarding career in our industry.”

Throughout the two Hunting, Minerals, Metals and More workshops, students became science detectives for a day, searching for clues around the classroom to draw links between elements in the Periodic Table and the everyday products they’re used in.

“This allowed students to learn about the importance of mineral resources, and the critical materials produced that make our lives safer, easier, and exciting,” Ms Jones said.

“During Lighting the Way, students investigated the laws of reflection and refraction, exploring how the fundamental principles of physics are used every day to enhance safety outcomes in the resources industry.

“Using lasers, critical thinking, and problem solving, students arranged a series of mirrors to modify the path in which light travels, creating their own model scale retroreflectors.

“This technology is commonly used by the resources industry for things like high-vis clothing, safety signs, and speed limits, particularly in darker working environments like underground.”

Marsden State High School Principal, Mr Marcus Jones said these workshops were an invaluable opportunity for the students to experience the tangible applications of their STEM studies.

“Our students are incredibly inquisitive, and truly thrive when tasked with activities that are not only interactive, but are motivated by real world situations,” Mr Jones said.

“It was extremely beneficial for them to learn about the wide range of STEM skills required to be a part of the resources sector, and it’s always fantastic to watch them connect their school curriculum to the real world.”

As Australia’s largest and most successful industry-led education and schools training 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.