AREEA’s Bright Future STEM program goes from strength-to-strength, last week visiting 250 students in Kalgoorlie.

Students from the WA School of Mines, St Joseph’s Primary School, Kalgoorlie Primary School and South Kalgoorlie Primary School discovered more about the sector thanks to role models from member companies KCGM, Newmont, Gold Fields, Thiess and St Barbara.

Through an engaging mix of industry role model talks and hands-on interactive activities, students from the famous WA mining community gained a peek into the rewarding and diverse careers offered in the sector.

Inspiring schoolkids around the nation with future opportunities in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and maths), the Bright Future STEM program has now been successfully rolled out at four events across Australia, including Middlemount (see related story),  Melbourne’s Burwood Heights Primary School last month in June (see related story) and also Corinda State Primary School (see related story).

AREEA director of operations Tara Diamond told the Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper that to meet future employment demands, it was vital that the industry sparked children’s curiosity in STEM subjects at an early age.

“We know in the energy and resources industry the study of those STEM subjects are so crucial, not just to our operations today but our operations in the future,” she said.

“Making those links to the real world compared to what you’re learning in the classroom is so important to spark that curiosity.

“To make those links — well why am I doing this and what has this got to do with me and what am I going to do with that?

“We have all asked ourselves those questions.

“It gives them a range of insights into science, technology, engineering and maths and how the study of these subjects relates to real-world jobs in the resources and energy industries.”

AREEA’s Bright Future STEM program will visit a dozen schools across Queensland, Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in 2019.

AREEA thanks its members who have participated with Bright Future STEM to date, and encourages other members to learn how they can get involved.

For more information, contact AREEA’s Program Manager at [email protected] or via 1800 627 771.

Check out this short video highlighting the success of the program.