New Hope : (27/03/17) Oakey students kick-start careers Read More >

New Hope Group is helping to raise awareness about future vocation opportunities for local Oakey students by bringing the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) to Oakey State High School.

A QMEA lesson on water management, the first instalment of an industry skills and training program made possible by New Hope funding, was delivered to Grade 7 students last week.

Supported by Environmental Officer Brooke Topp from New Acland Mine, the lesson focused on water management practices and included activities like testing and treating water samples.

New Acland Mine General Manager David Vink said supporting the education of local students was an important step in helping the Oakey community to build a strong future.

'Supporting education and skills development in the region was identified as one of six priority areas during consultation with locals in the recent Community Needs and Resources research we conducted,' David said.

'It's important to invest in our local kids and provide them with the skills and support to get them into rewarding and stable careers.

'The QMEA program encourages students to study subjects in science, technology, engineering and maths to help them break into careers like mechanics, engineering and environmental science.

'Science, technology, engineering and maths play an important role in many of the local industries such as mining, agriculture, aviation, construction and meat processing.

'By supporting the QMEA program, we hope to build stability in the local area through skills development and educating students about the opportunities in the Oakey region.'