Connecting Students With Energy Careers Through A Two-Day Hackathon At Central Queensland University

7 days ago
4 min read

As Australia's renewable energy sector continues to grow, so too does the demand for young people with the skills and experience needed to help shape its future. While many students are interested in sustainability and emerging technologies, they don't always have opportunities to experience what a career in the industry could actually look like.

To help bridge this gap, Central Queensland University partnered with BOP Industries to develop an annual two-day Renewable Energy Hackathon for students in Years 9 to 11 from schools across the Gladstone region.

The goal was to connect students with industry, introduce them to the exciting opportunities emerging within renewable energy, and challenge them to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Across two action-packed days, students worked alongside industry professionals, participated in skill building masterclasses and pitched their ideas directly to representatives from the renewable energy sector. More than just learning about the industry, they experienced what it's like to think, collaborate and innovate like future energy professionals.

At A Glance

Organisation: Central Queensland University

Location: Gladstone, Queensland

Year Levels: Years 9-11

Program Format: Two-day Future Energy Hackathon

Programs Delivered: Future Energy Creators and Energy Enterprise Builders

Learning Focus: Renewable energy, entrepreneurship, innovation, design thinking, future careers and communication.

Connecting Classrooms With Industry

One of the biggest strengths of the Renewable Energy Hackathon was the close connection between education and industry. Rather than completing a hypothetical classroom activity, students spent two days immersed in challenges inspired by the future of Australia's renewable energy transition.

Throughout the program, industry experts shared their own career journeys, emerging technologies and the opportunities emerging in the sector. These sessions gave students valuable insight into the wide variety of careers available, while helping them understand how innovation is driving change across energy, engineering and sustainability.

One of the standout moments was a young professionals panel, where students heard from graduates and early-career engineers working across the industry. Rather than hearing only from senior leaders, students connected with professionals who had recently made the transition from school or university into the workforce, making future careers feel both achievable and relatable.

Students also had the opportunity to interact with examples of innovation already happening within the industry, including a surfboard manufactured from recycled wind turbine materials. Experiences like these helped demonstrate that sustainability isn't just about technology, it's also about creativity, design and rethinking how materials can be reused in new ways.

From Ideas To Industry Solutions

Across both the Future Energy Creators and Energy Enterprise Builders programs, students followed a structured design process that challenged them to investigate problems before rushing towards solutions.

After hearing from industry speakers, students formed teams before exploring local opportunities connected to renewable energy, emerging technologies and sustainability. Through a series of interactive masterclasses, they researched global case studies, built user personas, brainstormed ideas and developed prototypes that responded to real challenges facing their communities. Students could explore different innovation pathways depending on their interests.

Some teams designed physical products and interactive installations that encouraged greater engagement with renewable energy, while others created digital platforms, mobile apps and immersive experiences that helped communities better understand and access sustainable technologies. Others focused on entrepreneurial business ideas capable of supporting Australia's growing renewable energy sector through new products, services and ventures.

Throughout the two days, BOP Industries facilitated practical workshops covering innovation, rapid ideation, customer research, prototyping and communication, giving students a toolkit they could apply well beyond the hackathon itself.

What Students Created

Across the two-day hackathon, students developed:

Renewable energy products and business concepts.
Interactive community installations.
Digital apps and online platforms.
3D printed and physical prototypes.
Wireframes and concept designs.
Professional pitch presentations.
Slide decks using the eight-step pitching framework.
Future-focused solutions addressing real industry opportunities.

By the conclusion of the program, every team had transformed an initial idea into a well-developed concept supported by research, design thinking and industry feedback.

Why This Approach Worked

The Renewable Energy Hackathon demonstrated the value of bringing education, universities and industry together around a shared challenge.

Students weren't simply learning about renewable energy through textbooks or presentations. They were actively collaborating with peers, hearing directly from professionals and applying their creativity to problems that genuinely matter to their region.

By combining authentic industry engagement with hands-on innovation, Central Queensland University created an experience that helped students build confidence, develop future-ready skills and better understand the exciting career pathways emerging within Australia's renewable energy sector.

Looking To Connect Students With Industry?

Industry partnerships create powerful opportunities for students to explore future careers while developing the skills employers are looking for.

At BOP Industries, we work with schools, universities, councils and industry partners to design customised hackathons, innovation challenges and future-focused learning experiences that inspire young people through authentic, real-world projects.

Whether you're looking to showcase a growing industry, strengthen career education or build students' innovation skills, we'd love to help design a program that connects learning with the future of work.

Get in touch with our team today: www.bopindustries.com/contact-us