Click here for photos from Beakers.Bots.Build at St John’s School.

Click here for photos from STEM Unearthed at St John’s School.

Click here for photos from STEM Unearthed at Roma State College.

A series of hands-on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) workshops held in Roma schools this week by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) are stimulating students’ interest in an exciting career in resources.

Thanks to support from Origin Energy as Upstream Operator for APLNG, the QMEA, the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), is delivering its Beakers.Bots.Build and STEM Unearthed workshops to over 70 students at St John’s School and Roma State College.

QRC Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Ms Katrina-Lee Jones said guided by representatives from Origin Energy, students are completing interactive STEM-focused activities from a resources-related context.

“Three days of workshops in Roma kicked off yesterday at St John’s School where Grade 9 students worked in teams to operate their very own simulated gas pipeline site,” Ms Jones said.

“The crowd favourite was certainly the digital technology activity which involved students programming a Lego EV3 robot to move autonomously along a designated route representing remote visual inspections of pipeline infrastructure.

“This activity cleverly demonstrates how the resources and energy industry uses innovative technologies, while also helping the students bolster their IT skills.”

Aleta Nicoll, General Manager West for Origin, said the STEM fun continues at St John’s School today (Wednesday) and Roma State College on Thursday as Grade 10 students complete exciting chemistry and process engineering tasks.

“To demonstrate how important teamwork, communication and problem solving are, not only in the resources and energy sector, but in school and the workforce, students are working in teams to engineer the perfect drink of water,” Ms Nicoll said.

“The natural gas industry relies on the expertise of engineers, geologists, trained operators, and specialist technicians using best-practice procedures and evolving technologies.

“The activities in these workshops are an excellent opportunity to show the next generation the different types of rewarding careers on offer in our sector, and the importance of continuing STEM education pathways.”

St John’s School Principal, Mr Jim Brennan said the school is proud to be hosting its third QMEA engagement in the past month alone, and the workshop activities always provide powerful links between lessons in the classroom and real-world experiences.

“As a former science teacher, I’m so pleased to see the students enjoying innovative educational experiences that complement the classroom curriculum,” Mr Brennan said.

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.