Students unearth STEM careers in booming resources sector
Students unearth STEM careers in booming resources sector
Bundaberg State High School students will today learn first hand from industry professionals the huge range of science technology engineering and maths (SETM)careers available to them in the booming resources sector.
Evolution Mining professionals will be on hand to mentor students through a STEM Unearthed workshop supported by the company and run by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).
“There’s no better time to be considering a resources sector career with latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) employment figures showing direct mining jobs in Queensland have hit a record high of almost 85,000,” said Director Skills and Education with the QRC Katrina-Lee Jones.
“This is combined with skills shortages in many resources-related STEM careers including engineering and trades,” she said.
Anton Kruger, Evolution Mining’s Mount Carlton General Manager said the company’s staff would help students gain a greater understanding of the types of well-paid and highly skilled career pathways that are available to them and illustrate how the subjects that they study in school have direct relevance to those careers.
“We are proud supporters of the QMEA as we can see that these workshops are successful in encouraging more students into resources-related careers,” said Mr Kruger.
“This event is targeted at those students who are on a STEM pathway, which could potentially lead them into roles such as chemical engineering, geology, metallurgy, and environmental engineering,” he said.
Bundaberg State High School Principal Chris Gill said the hands-on activities including modelling real-world mining practices, extracting metals from rocks and developing a process to make a novelty drink would bring their classroom work to life.
“It’s a very useful learning aid for students to see how the theory is used in practice,” he said.
“You never know, when might end up with some chemical engineers, geologists, or process engineers as a result.”
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