CQUniversity is ‘digging in' as a long-term supporter of the mining and resources industries, despite recent downturns and job shedding across the region.

A strong resources theme is developing across a range of regional campuses of the institution, which is a proud foundation partner of QREX (the Queensland Resources Expo held in Rockhampton).

Mackay's hosting and support for the Australian Simulation Research Office is one of the recent initiatives. The Office is the first of its kind both nationally and internationally and will revolutionise the industry by increasing simulation training standards and developing initiatives to assist in producing a skilled and safety conscious workforce.

There has also been a strong resources focus through development of CQUniversity's Knowledge Village Mackay, the community-focused site which will strategically co-locate vocational education providers, government and industry.

CQUniversity recently welcomed almost $2 million in Federal Government funding for the establishment of Place-Based Education Pathways at the Gladstone and Mackay campuses.  They will provide a platform to develop solutions to support the local labour recruitment, development and retention strategies of business and industry in Central Queensland, benefitting all types of resource industries.

Gladstone Campus, which is forging a learning partnership with Rio Tinto, has joined Asset Management Council members and Gladstone industry representatives in a push to establish a CQ region chapter of the AMC. This Campus has also hosted community workshops to help people understand air quality monitoring.

More widely, University researchers have been helping to improve the quality of mine water, indicating best practice for electricity generation from coal seam methane, boosting the productivity of rail operations and leading constructive debate about the carbon challenge.

The University has an existing suite of associate degrees in mining (already popular with mining firms), an existing mining engineering partnership degree (with University of Queensland) and is developing relevant postgraduate programs and short courses.

CQUniversity has also been working with resources firms and peak bodies such as the Australian Power Institute (API) to develop scholarships and bursaries to attract and retain talented students. It has been providing free ‘career-change' study pathways which are tailored for workers retrenched from resource industries.

Showing the breadth of interest, there are a number of research programs focused on improved consideration of social and economic restructuring in mine and regional planning.