What’s Happening?
The Queensland Government has opened a Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy regional hub in Rockhampton. The hub will connect Central Queensland students with employers and careers close to home.
Its programs will cover resources, energy, engineering, trades and STEM fields. Through school activities, students will see how classroom subjects connect with roles across local industries.
The opening delivers an election commitment to expand the academy across regional Queensland. It also aims to connect employers and students earlier, strengthening the supply of skilled regional workers.
Why It Matters
The hub will give students clearer information about the skills required for local jobs. Meanwhile, employers can meet potential workers before they finish school or leave the region.
Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said students should see local career options before leaving school.
“Some of the best career opportunities in Queensland are right here in our regions, and we want young people seeing those possibilities before they leave school,” Ms Bates said. “This means 10,000 more students getting a look inside real industries, meeting employers and understanding how what they learn at school can lead to a good job.”
Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Dale Last said a strong local skills supply was critical for Queensland’s resources sector.
“More than 81,000 Queenslanders work directly in mining and resources. These jobs underpin regional communities right across our state,” Mr Last said. “Nowhere is this more evident than in Central Queensland where the industry supports thousands of local families and businesses.”
He said continued industry growth depended on creating local career pathways and preparing another generation of regional workers.
“Allowing Queensland’s resources sector to grow means creating pathways into rewarding careers and helping shape the next generation of resource workers from communities like Rockhampton,” Mr Last said. “The Crisafulli Government is making sure young Queenslanders can see the opportunities on offer and have the skills to seize them.”
Local Impact
Member for Rockhampton Donna Kirkland said Central Queensland students should be able to build careers without looking outside the region.
“The next generation of Central Queenslanders shouldn’t have to look south to see a future for themselves. Some of the best career opportunities in Queensland are right here,” Mrs Kirkland said.
“Whether it’s at the mines west of Rocky, in engineering and trades here in town, or across the wider resources supply chain, there are rewarding careers that can help our region’s young people live, work and build their futures right here in Central Queensland.
“This is exactly why I fought to have Rockhampton’s voice heard in government, and I’m proud the Crisafulli Government is delivering another investment directly into the future of our region.”
Member for Keppel Nigel Hutton said early contact with different industries could change how students viewed their future careers.
“You can’t aspire to a career you don’t know exists, and that’s why getting these opportunities in front of young people early matters,” Mr Hutton said.
“For a student here in Central Queensland, a QMEA program could be the moment they realise that the science they enjoy at school could lead to a career in the resources sector.
“We want our young people to be ambitious about their future and to know they can build a career right at home.”
QMEA Student Ambassador Jake Lucas is a Year 12 student at The Cathedral College. He said the academy had strengthened his knowledge and confidence through practical programs.
“I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the industry through QMEA school workshops and leadership programs,” Jake said.
“It is a real bonus for students like me, in the Rockhampton region who are keen on having a career in the resources industry as the QMEA gives us the confidence and local connections to follow our career aspirations after school.”
By the Numbers
- 10,000 more regional students will receive exposure to resources and energy careers across 50 additional schools. Primary schools will participate for the first time.
- More than 81,000 Queenslanders work directly in mining and resources. These jobs support families, businesses and communities across regional Queensland.
- $2 million supports the regional academy expansion. Rockhampton is the second of three hubs, following Mackay, while Townsville is planned next year.
Zoom In
The Rockhampton hub will offer school workshops, camps, leadership programs and contact with industry. These activities will help students connect their studies with specific jobs and employers.
Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Officer Janette Hewson said Mackay had shown how the regional hub model could increase school participation.
“Since the Mackay hub launched last year, ten new schools have joined the QMEA network, giving many more primary and secondary students access to workshops, camps and leadership programs linking their classroom studies directly to careers in the resources industry,” Ms Hewson said.
“The resources sector is critically important to the Queensland economy, and it needs the next generation of engineers, scientists and data technologists to keep it thriving.
“We know that students who engage with QMEA programs are more likely to pursue science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) studies after school.”
Zoom Out
The Crisafulli Government has linked the expansion with its wider economic, workforce and regional services policies. It says businesses across Queensland have struggled to find workers following inadequate workforce planning.
“Labor’s decade of decline created dire skills shortages in every part of the state because they failed to plan for the workforce Queensland needed,” Ms Bates said.
“We are turning the tide by building stronger pathways from the classroom into a career and making sure regional employers have the skilled workers they need to grow.”
The expansion is supported by the Crisafulli Government’s election commitment to grow QMEA across regional Queensland. It also forms part of Improved Completions, a joint Albanese and Crisafulli government initiative.
What To Look For Next?
Rockhampton schools will gain access to industry workshops, camps and leadership activities through the new hub. Students will also receive more opportunities to meet employers and understand local job requirements.
Mackay’s hub will continue expanding its school network, while Townsville will receive the third regional hub next year. More information is available from the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy and Gateway to Industry Schools Program.
