Bundaberg students will become tradies for a day today when they take part in a hands-on workshop designed to give them a taste for trade careers.

They’ll hear firsthand from tradies working in the resources sector about the skills needed, the opportunities that abound in the sector, and how to get there. Students from Gin Gin State High School will join Bundaberg State High School students for the workshop run by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA).

“Evolution Mining is a proud supporter of the QMEA’s activities because the results speak for themselves,’ said Mark Boon, Evolution Mining’s General Manager Operations for Queensland.

“Of male QMEA students who enter trades, 16 percent enter the resources sector  related trades compared to just 3 percent of non-QMEA students. And of girls entering trades, 13 percent enter resources-related trades compare to just 2 percent of non-QMEA students. We’re particularly pleased that the QMEA is helping to encourage more girls into trade careers as we appreciate that businesses with more diversity are more sustainable and successful in the long term.”

“This is an excellent opportunity for our students,” said Bundaberg State High School Principal Karen McCord. “It’s so beneficial for students to be able to chat to industry people and learn from their experience, while seeing the real-world application of their classroom learning,” she said.