Hands-on experience for students at the Gympie Science and Engineering Challenge.
Queensland Hydro was on hand last month to help local students learn real-world STEM skills.
Last month, 181 local school students had a sneak peek into the exciting world of STEM, with hands-on learning delivered by Queensland Hydro as part of the Gympie Science and Engineering Challenge.
Established by the University of Newcastle, the award-winning program has engaged more than 400,000 young people across Australia, using real-world activities to build critical thinking skills that create practical solutions. The Gympie Science and Engineering Challenge was also delivered in partnership with University of the Sunshine Coast (Gympie campus) and MindSET-do.
From engineers to modellers to environmental experts, Queensland Hydro proudly champions careers in STEM through our diverse range of roles and pathways. This initiative was the perfect opportunity for our local team to share their knowledge with the next generation.
Practical challenges for real-world learning
Year 9 and 10 students from eight schools across the Gympie region battled it out on a range of science and engineering challenges, with points awarded for each activity.
Project Manager Matt McCulloch and Senior Project Engineer Wade Walsh from the proposed Borumba Pumped Hydro Project were on hand to teach students engineering fundamentals through the Helter Skelter Shelter Challenge. For this challenge, teams of four had to construct two tall earthquake-proof towers on a timber platform using only common materials, such as cardboard and straws. At the end of the session, the towers are put to the test – having to withstand earthquake conditions.
“The first tower was essentially a test run where students learnt what to do and – importantly – what not to do,” explained Matt.
“They then had to take that knowledge and adapt the design so that the second tower would perform better under earthquake conditions.”
Both Matt and Wade Walsh said the quality of student knowledge was high, but they were most impressed with how keen the teams were to learn about engineering fundamentals.
“It was really good to engage with students and to pass on our engineering knowledge,” said Wade.
“The challenge meant the teams were pushed to think from an engineering and physics perspective, and you could see that the challenge was rewarding for them.
“There’s nothing like hands-on learning, and this challenge was great for encouraging students to consider a career pathway in STEM.”
Coolum Beach Christian College took out the overall winner from the day’s challenges, while James Nash High School won the prestigious Bridge Building challenge.
STEM careers for the next generation
The Helter Skelter Shelter Challenge was specifically designed to model careers in the fields of engineering, geology and construction management to students – but plenty of career pathways were on show throughout the event. Other STEM careers included programming, modelling, environmental engineering, energy systems and architecture.
At Queensland Hydro, we’re committed to building the next generation of STEM workforce. If approved, our proposed pumped hydro projects will require up to 2,000 workers during the main works phase and up to 50 ongoing full-time roles once operational.
To ensure we have the right skills and resources available to deliver our projects, we’re already working to provide pathways and incentives to grow our local workforce and to build training capability in the local region.
Announced last year, Queensland Hydro has partnered with UniSC on the Queensland Hydro Scholarship, a $10,000 scholarship for high-performing second-year students enrolled in a Bachelor of Engineering. Queensland Hydro is also working directly with local high schools, including Gympie State High School and James Nash State High School, on scholarship programs for students undertaking STEM subjects.
This is one of many ways that we’re contributing to the long-term growth and sustainability of the communities in which we operate, bringing real, tangible benefits for employment and workforce development.
About the Project
The Borumba Pumped Hydro Project is a proposed 2,000 MW pumped hydro energy storage facility located at Lake Borumba, near Imbil. If approved, the Project will provide critical reliability and stability as Queensland transitions to renewable energy.
First published 8 April 2024.