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A highly successful program placing students on pathways into science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers in the resources sector this week shifts its focus to teachers.

Twenty teachers from QMEA partner schools across Queensland will travel to Brisbane as part of the Industry and Innovation Teacher Tour organised by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) and supported by BHP and BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA).

The two-day event, the first since Covid restrictions limited the tours, takes place on 1 and 2 December across venues including Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies (QCAT) and Queensland University of Technology (QUT), showcasing the latest technological advancements in the resources sector.

While attendees may know little about 3D slam mapping or scratch coding when they arrive, they will be much better informed by the time they leave, thanks to a variety of hands-on workshops stepping out ways to implement, assess and report on the digital and design technologies curriculum.

QMEA’s Manager of Skills and Education, Matthew Heskett, said that QMEA’s programs focused not only on broadening students’ knowledge and experience of the resources sector but also on keeping teachers abreast of new technologies and careers.

“This tour aims to provide teachers with a full overview of the latest job opportunities available to students, while the workshops are designed to enrich the STEM content and careers advice offered in schools,” said Matthew, noting that the tours will also help grow teachers’ personal understanding of the fast-evolving world of digital technologies linked to the resources sector.

“Often the teachers accompanying students to our school workshops miss out because they are focused on student outcomes rather than building on their own knowledge base. This event allows teachers to expand on their own professional experience.”

BHP Coal’s Head of Digital Teams, Andrew Wilson said, “It’s vital that teachers are supported in their understanding of the latest digital and design frontiers, as these underpin many of the careers that their students will move into in the future. By educating teachers against a backdrop of rapidly advancing technologies, we aim to inspire them as they deliver STEM-based topics inside the classroom. We are pleased to work alongside the QMEA to offer these standout tours for educators.”

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 with the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program.

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Teachers attending this tour are from the following QMEA partner schools:

1. Alexandra Hills SHS
2. Blackwater SHS
3. Centenary SHS
4. Chinchilla SHS
5. Dysart SHS
6. Everton Park SHS
7. Gladstone SHS
8. Kirwan SHS
9. Mackay Northern Beaches SHS
10. Mackay SHS
11. Marsden SHS
12. Millmerran SHS
13. Moranbah SHS
14. Mount Gravatt SHS
15. Moura SHS
16. Pioneer SHS
17. Redeemer Lutheran College, Biloela
18. Tannum Sands SHS
19. Tec-NQ (Townsville)
20. Toolooa SHS (Gladstone)