A record 255 high school students from across Queensland and New South Wales will head to uni over the September school holidays to take part in the 2022 QUT Future You STEM Summit.
The four-day summit will focus on career opportunities and jobs of the future, including the technology jobs boom that the 2032 Olympics is expected to bring to Brisbane.
Around 180 students from Year 11 and 12 will participate in STEM taster practicals in engineering, health and science. Another 70 will participate in an internship placement and become part of a QUT research team for a week.
All students will also attend conference-style sessions where they will hear from guest speakers from industry and government, who will talk about future job opportunities – including in health and sport – and the importance of a STEM mindset.
In addition to Brisbane students, the 2022 STEM Summit participants will include eight school students from the Gold Coast, 18 from the Sunshine Coast, 4 from Rockhampton, 6 from Gladstone/Yeppoon, nine from Cairns/Mareeba, eight from Townsville/Ayr, five from northern New South Wales (including Lismore), two from Sydney, eight from Bundaberg/Wide Bay, eight from Toowoomba/Darling Downs, three from Mackay, two from Gympie, and one from Roma.
QUT STEM High School Engagement program manager Simone Long said the summit traditionally attracted high achievers who were smart, motivated and already had an interest in STEM.
Ms Long said the summit was not the only opportunity for students to learn about courses and careers in science, technology, engineering and maths.
“We know there are thousands more high school students out there who love STEM and are considering careers in STEM fields,” she said.
“The QUT Open Day on July 31 is another great opportunity to find out more about STEM careers and courses.”
Ms Long said students attending the STEM Summit in September would spend a week mixing with researchers and university students, and hearing from guest speakers.
“They really do get a great taste of STEM technical skills and professional skills, and they have the opportunity to hear from high-profile speakers and do industry site visits to Cross River Rail and Suncorp,” she said.
“We know from past experience that many of these students already know they want to pursue STEM courses at university. The summit givens them experiences and insights that can help them refine specific areas of study and career paths.”
Ms Long said senior school students were ideally positioned to take advantage of the new jobs that the Olympics and its associated infrastructure projects would bring.
“This next decade will see Queensland transformed for the Olympic Games, with a wide cross-section of commercial sectors benefiting and the creation of new jobs across all sectors – none more so than the STEM industries,” Ms Long said.
** The QUT Future You STEM Summit will be held from September 27 to 30 at QUT’s Gardens Point campus.
** The QUT Open Day will be held on Sunday, July 31, at Gardens Point campus, with tours also available at Kelvin Grove campus.
QUT Media contacts:
- Mechelle McMahon, media@qut.edu.au
- After hours, 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au
