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What goes up, must come down. Right? Well not necessarily if you’re dealing with hydraulics, as students at Toowoomba State High School are learning today.

They are working alongside Russell Mineral Equipment (RME) staff mentors to build a model hydraulic arm in a Heavy Hydraulics workshop run by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) – the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).

RME’s Group Manager of Research and Development, David Brander, said the workshop is also covering computer-aided design techniques such as Tinkercad.

“And it is focussing on design thinking processes and the use of technology within engineering projects,” he said.

“RME is very excited to be partnering for the first time with QMEA to run this workshop, and our engineers have been really looking forward to mentoring the students.”

“As a global supplier to industry, RME designs, manufactures and services equipment critical to mill relining operations and we are always looking for the right people to take up roles such as fabricators, mechanical/electrical fitters, design engineers and draftspeople.”

Katrina-Lee Jones, Director Skills and Education with the QRC said the interaction with the sector was invaluable in demonstrating the many great resources-related careers and helping students to understand how to enter those career pathways.

“Even through the pandemic, resources jobs still experienced growth,” she said.

“The latest SEEK employment data shows more than 1300 resources sector jobs currently advertised, with almost 70 percent of those jobs paying more than $100,000 per year.

“Just in the specialist hydraulics field, SEEK is currently advertising close to 600 jobs in Queensland, and there are almost 5,000 vacancies for engineers.

“Students are gaining great insights by seeing the practical application of their classroom work and how it relates to the every day.

“It’s also great fun for them to design and construct a model vehicle for the hydraulic arm, and fun is a powerful learning aid for students.

“They’ll also find out how hydraulics are used every day in things from office chairs to car brakes, dishwashers and aircraft.”

As Australia’s largest and most successful industry-led education and skills 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 VET and STEM-related careers, with a focus on female and Indigenous participation. The QMEA currently engages with 80 schools and is a partnership between the QRC and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program.

Media Contact: Caroline Morrissey  0417 770893 or Carolinem@qrc.org.au

The QRC is Queensland’s peak body for coal, metal and gas explorers, producers and suppliers across the resources sector. It contributes one in every five dollars to the state economy, supports one in six Queensland jobs, supports more than 15,000 businesses and contributes to more than 1,200 community organisations – all from 0.1 percent of Queensland’s land mass.