Students from Mount Isa and Cloncurry experienced a sneak peak into a future career this week in a series of industry-guided STEM workshops.
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Aimed to enhance students understanding of how their scientific studies can be applied to real world settings, classrooms at Cloncurry State School, St Joseph's, Good Shepherd Catholic College and Spinifex State College got an introduction to concepts directly related to the North West region.
Students in Cloncurry attended Water - Yours, Mine, Ours, sponsored by South32, giving them a chance to explore different aspects of water management.
Delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), year 7 students at Cloncurry State School and St Joseph's Catholic School undertook a water treatment design challenge on Tuesday, March 26.
An environmental specialist from South32 helped guide the students through some of the company's water management processes.
"It's great to be able to teach young people about some of our operations and how, at South32, we are working to produce commodities critical for a low-carbon future." South32 Cannington vice president operations Joe Russell said.
On Wednesday morning, students in Mount Isa undertook a Physics in Flight workshop exploring physics and aerodynamics.
Using a paper plane, they explored the design variables impacting the effectiveness of flight. Under the supervision of industry experts from workshop sponsors, Glencore Mount Isa Mines (MIM), the best designed plane won the day.
"Physics forms the basis of many activities on site including engineering, exploration and drone applications," Glencore MIM human resources manager Fiona Pascoe said.
"Today's workshop gave us a chance to chat to the students about how studying physics and other STEM subjects is foundational if they are keen to follow a career in the resources sector.
"I was impressed with their innovative minds and how they worked together as a team to create their plane design and solve problems."
QMEA STEM Engagement Officer James Murr said it's vital to have industry representatives at the workshops to help provide context to the students.
"One of our core aspects of our job is that direct engagement with industry representatives to the students," he said.
"As the younger ones progress through school to senior years 11 and 12 and some of the career days with year 10, we connect them more with people that are in the careers that they think they want to go into.
"We have girls mentoring so we connect the girls with strong industry leaders that have been doing what these girls want to do for some time.
"We think we're really starting to see jobs come out of that as its been run for a few years now where these girls have maintained these connections and relationships.
"As we go further, it's less about that fun day and a little bit more about what jobs are available to you."