The 12-day Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy Xstrata engineering camp gave students the opportunity to experience first-hand what is involved in an engineering career in the resources industry.

Activities included riding in dump trucks and witnessing open cut blasting.

Students travelled as far as Brisbane for the event, and were given the option of focusing on general, chemical or mining engineering, with the students working closely with Xstrata mine employees on complex, real-life engineering tasks.

The camp gave the students the opportunity to tour surface mine operations and Xstrata’s smelter and underground operations, while undertaking tasks such as analysing water samples and use operating surveying equipment.

QMEA director Roger Atkins said the engineering tasks given to students were the “real deal”

“They work nine to five and combine theory and practical experience and are given the opportunity to work with talented engineers,” he said.

“There’s no better way for students considering their future career options to have a real taste of life as a mining engineer.”

Students were able to present their findings and recommendations to Xstrata senior management at an awards evening on the last night of the camp.

Xstrata North Queensland acting human resources manager Dick Kostowski said the pool of talent in the group was apparent.

“The talent of this year’s students was exceptional, demonstrated by their ability to engineer solutions to real-life problems,” he said.

“The resources sector can only benefit from these enthusiastic and smart students choosing a career in engineering.”

Xstrata is a sponsor of the QMEA, which is a partnership between the Queensland Resources Council and the Queensland government.

Other sponsors include Anglo American and Rio Tinto Coal Australia.

This article first appeared in ILN's sister publication MiningNews.net.