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15 July 2021

Kirwan State High School students dug deep to learn what it takes to be a successful mining engineer when they took part in a Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) workshop recently.

With a shortage of mining engineers starting to bite in Queensland, and potential salaries upwards of $180,000, mentors from event sponsor Glencore Queensland Metals Copper Refineries at Townsville encouraged the students to consider this profession as a career.

“The QMEA, the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) is running a social media campaign to promote mining engineering among our young people, so this workshop couldn’t be more timely,” said QRC Director Skills and Education Katrina-Lee Jones.

“This workshop will take students through the full lifecycle of a mine, from mining and processing different commodities to rehabilitation of the site,” said Copper Refineries Manager, Paul Taylor.

“We’ll also be teaching them about minerals processing with laboratory experiments to extract copper, which the students always enjoy,” he said.

“Glencore is a very proud long-term supporter of the QMEA as we can see its effectiveness in promoting the resources sector as career choices for the next generation.”

Kirwan SHS Principal Meredith Wenta said the workshops were designed around the school curriculum, and were a valuable aid to learning by demonstrating the practical uses of the students’ classroom work.

“Hearing about careers directly from industry professionals is also very valuable in shaping students’ thinking and planning their career paths,” she said.

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