QRC education arms delivers record programs

The Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) has delivered a record number of workshops, programs and camps to school students across the State in 2024.

At a total of 233 for the year, the QMEA continues to inspire students to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, maths (STEM) and trades.

QME is the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).

The Council’s chief executive Janette Hewson says the QMEA has succeeded in creating opportunities for students to discover more about resources in Queensland and potential careers available in the sector.

“This year over 6,200 students have participated in QMEA programs or workshops – that is a lot of young minds who will now be considering the professional and trade roles available to them if they join a mining or energy company,” she said.

“The resources sector is growing and it is estimated it will need another 30,000 workers by the end of the decade, initiatives like the QMEA help to create a pipeline of talent which will play a big part in our future.”

The 2024 results for the QMEA reflect the impact it is having across its network of 100 regional and southeast Queensland schools.

Students from QMEA schools are more likely to follow a study pathway into engineering and related technologies than students from non-QMEA schools (20% vs 18%) and enter an apprenticeship in the mining industry (5.1% vs 2.6%).

Female students from QMEA schools are also more likely to enter an apprenticeship in the mining industry (4.4% vs 1.8%) as are indigenous students from QMEA schools (6.2% vs 4.7%).

Twenty student ambassadors, entering Year 12 in 2025, will provide a leadership role for the QMEA in their school and local community.

Ms Hewson says while the students have a diverse range of interests – from engineering to the trades – they all had a common curiosity about the resources sector.

“I am quite sure many of these 2025 QMEA student ambassadors will go on to carve out a rewarding career in the resources sector,” she said.

“They will be the new wave of workforce helping us to innovate and meet the demands for greater productivity, increased safety and further sustainability.”

It is an exciting time for the QMEA as it goes into celebrating its 20^th year in 2025 with a funding commitment from the Queensland Government to expand their network to a further 50 Queensland schools.

“The success of 2024 has laid the perfect foundation for the academy to expand and encourage more regional Queenslanders to pursue a career in the resources sector,” Ms Hewson said.

“We welcome the Queensland Government’s funding commitment which will help us to create a talented and skilled workforce for the future.”

The 2025 QMEA student ambassadors are: