Powerful futures: New campaign inspires students to join the resources industry
Click here for campaign hero video
Click here for campaign images
Click here to visit the Shape Our Future campaign website
A new campaign, Shape Our Future, launched today by the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), is showcasing real stories of young Queenslanders forging impactful careers in the state’s $120 billion resources sector.
The campaign aims to inspire Year 12 students and their families by highlighting how early-career professionals are contributing to innovation, sustainability and real-world problem solving across the resources industry.
Janette Hewson, QRC Chief Executive Officer, said the campaign’s strength lies in its authenticity.
“The best advocates for recruiting the next generation into our sector are young people already working in it,” said Ms Hewson.
“It was important to us the Shape Our Future campaign reflected real career journeys – with young Queenslanders sharing their enthusiasm for working in an industry that contributes so much to local communities and the Australian economy,” she said.
The roles profiled in the campaign include an earth science intern; a critical minerals researcher; a land access manager; a maintenance supervisor and environmental officer.
Mackenzie, an earth science intern at Pembroke Resources said she was excited to be part of the Shape Our Future campaign and share her passion for the resources industry.
“It is awesome taking everything I’ve learned in the classroom at university and putting it into practice on site, I definitely feel like I am part of a bigger picture.”
Shape Our Future builds on the success of the QRC’s previous Shape Your Future, with a shift of focus from individual career rewards to the benefit of working in a collaborative industry at the forefront of developing new technologies and innovations for a sustainable world.
“We asked the next generation what they want to achieve in their working life – while personal rewards were important so was having a role that has purpose and is making a difference for the planet and the future,” said Ms Hewson.
The campaign will run across social media and online platforms for three months kicking off on the date when Year 12 students can start submitting their university course preferences.
“We want to excite school leavers about the potential of a resources career and give them information to help them to identify the best role and study path to reach their career goals,” said Ms Hewson.
“I’d like to thank our 2025 university partner James Cook University and QRC members Pembroke Resources, Arrow Energy, Critical Minerals Group and Thiess for their partnership in providing the talent and locations for the campaign.”
The Shape our Future campaign has been developed by the QRC in collaboration with its education arm, the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy and QRC members.
The Shape Our Future campaign features a hero video and a series of shorter profile videos focusing on individual stories with more information about roles and career pathways on the campaign website.
