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The Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) made waves today at a Water 4 All workshop, thanks to support from Senex Energy, marking the official start to Term 2 engagements for the Queensland Resources Council’s (QRC) education branch.

About 30 Year 7 students from Wandoan and Taroom state schools dove into exciting, hands-on activities giving them the opportunity to learn about water management through a resources industry perspective.

QRC Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Ms Katrina-Lee Jones said the educational experience helps students apply fundamental science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) to solve real-world challenges.

“This valuable workshop, aligned with the national science curriculum, complements the classroom learning for these bright young minds in the early years of secondary school,” Ms Jones said.

“Helping students explore technical aspects of water management, such as filtration and purification, allows them to make connections with the resources and energy sector, and deepens their understanding of suitable water quality for the environment and community”.

Senex Energy Community Relations Manager Trevor Robertson said the workshop was a valuable opportunity for the students to discover the endless exciting career opportunities available to STEM professionals.

“Students were able to see firsthand the critical role experts like Senex’s hydrogeologists and data and analytics managers play in ensuring the quality and quantity of water needs are met across our operations,” Mr Robertson said.

“Our hope is that students are encouraged to take an interest in STEM subjects and one day take up a job in the all-important resources sector which delivers so much for the local community and society in general.”

Wandoan State School Principal, Mr Jack Mathewson said the students particularly enjoyed seeing innovative and leading technologies used in the jobs of today.

“Today, students used real-time water quality monitoring and data logging devices to investigate which methods of water filtration are the most effective and efficient,” Mr Mathewson said.

“The QMEA workshops are a fantastic opportunity for students to apply their critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills while learning about local career opportunities in life after school.”

As Australia’s largest and most successful industry-led education and schools initiative, the QMEA seeks to broaden student and teacher knowledge of career opportunities in resources.

The academy encourages a talent pipeline of employees into vocational and professional careers, with a focus on female and Indigenous participation. The QMEA currently engages with 90 schools and is a partnership between the QRC and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program.