INSIDE NSW MINING
"It's about teaching students to understand how their skills and interests
can align with local employers –
and that’s an important message to share with rural students."
High School Principal
Via this partnership, students will have the chance to virtually step into the shoes of six different mining professionals, gaining a unique perspective on what a day in their life entails.
These mining-specific modules are scenario-based learning experiences crafted to challenge students to tackle real-world problems.
Thirty schools across NSW will be given an opportunity to participate in a NSW Mining funded two-period session, engaging students in these tailored, scenario-based learning activities.
(LEFT) Students working on a Geology Mapping Exercise.
Mining Engineer | Virtual Work Experience
Students are working as a mining engineer in a mining team. The mine has recently made a major investment purchasing a new mining excavator, and students need to investigate if the mine needs to also invest in buying new trucks, too.
Students are asked to investigate the production rate of the excavator, and assess how well the mine’s existing truck fleet matches the new excavator.
Students are guided through basic maths concepts that are directly applicable to mining engineering; allowing students to look at factors like average bucket weight, loading time, automated truck speed and processing speeds.
Students are told that they are working as consultants in a large mine. The mine has just completed a feasibility study to extend its life, and to do so, will require the team to dig deeper to extract more mineral. Slope stability is essential for the safety of the team (to prevent a landslide or collapsed roof), and students are asked to use artificial technology to conceptualise a new way for the team to continually monitor the safety of the slope.
The current system for slope stability monitoring at the mine is comprised of visual inspections.
Students will undertake research on the use of drones and radar systems in mining; to understand how they could improve the mines slope stability monitoring, before creatively applying AI to the problem.
Students are working as a geologist for a mining company. This task is made up of part one and two.
In the first part students learn the basics of geology and will be identifying different critical minerals mined within Australia and will test their knowledge via a gamified
memory match card game.
In the second part students are asked to assess specific mineral deposits that are present in rock samples found from within a mine's newly discovered deposits. They are helping the mining team determine in if the land is
economically worth mining.
Students are working as a business development consultant for a mining company. They need to help the mining operations team with a business ‘efficiency’ challenge.
Students are asked to look at how much energy is being used by pieces of equipment in the mine, across different shifts, and help the team reduce their energy use.
Students need be shown visualised data sets and will be taught the correlations between these insights and mining operations.
Giving students an inside look
Each of the modules has been aligned with both the Australian Curriculum and the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) frameworks, allowing for easy integration into the classroom.
"Careers conversations should be cross-curricular – and this is an amazing way to bring real world relevance to maths, business, geography and science concepts that students are already working through in their classroom." - Sarah Warmoll, Co Founder
Taking industry concepts into the classroom
As Australia grapples with skills and labour shortages across the sector; the initiative is taking steps towards preparing the next generation for the changing landscape of the mining industry and equipping them with the awareness and confidence to consider a career in mining.
Bachelor of Vision Science
Optometry
B. Vision Science | Task Synopsis
Students are told that they are acting as a
vision scientist working at the UNSW Optometry Clinic. They will meet a series of patients who are experiencing visual defects. In this task, they will learn about each patient's symptoms and provide them with a diagnosis.
Bachelor of Food Science
Dietitian
B. Food Science | Task Synopsis
Students are told that they are working as a dietitian. They will need to research, evaluate and recommend substitutes within a popular recipe for a client; a family of four. Each family member has their own unique needs and they are required to design a plan to accommodate the nutritional needs of each of them.
Bachelor of Architecture
Architect
B. Architecture | Task Synopsis
Students are told that they are working on an architecture project for clients, Surf Life Saving Australia and Randwick Council.
Students need to work on a concept for Gordon’s Bay, a popular Sydney beach. They are lead through a client brief and are required to complete a site analysis and abstracted design concepts.
Bachelor of Arts
UN Humanitarian Coordinator
B. Arts | Task Synopsis
Students are told that they are working for the UN assisting in the Syrian refugee crisis.
Students are responsible for assessing other International Organisations that can assist the UN in their goal at building a political solution that will aid the refugee crisis.