In a first for Bundaberg State High School students, today they will have the chance to try a trade or see if a professional career is more to their liking.

The students will take part in the first combined trade/STEM day hosted at the school by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) and global gold mining company Evolution Mining.

“These events help prepare students for both trade and professional careers such as engineering, environmental management, diesel fitting and electrical, all of which are in demand in the resources sector,” Evolution Mining’s People & Culture Manager Penny Johnson said today.

“Our representatives will pass on tips on how to enter these careers, and how the tasks they’ll perform are relevant to their school work.”

Director of Skills, Education and Diversity with the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) Katrina-Lee Jones said the practical application of classroom work can often be a lightbulb moment for students.

“The practical science exercises, where students compete against the clock and their classmates, also hone their problem solving, communication and teamwork skills,” she said.

“The hands-on trade activities that simulate real tasks in the resources sector will give students great insight into what it takes to become a trades person.”

The QMEA engages with 80 schools throughout Queensland and is a partnership between the QRC and the state government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program.

The QRC is Queensland’s peak representative body for coal, metal and gas explorers, producers and suppliers across the resources sector. It contributes one in every five dollars to the Queensland economy, sustains one in six Queensland jobs and supports more than 15,000 businesses and more than 1200 community organisations across the state – all from 0.1 percent of Queensland’s land mass.