Mackay State High School is proud to be a Reef Guardian School – where our students take meaningful action that directly support Reef protection and resilience. ?

And now, we’re joining the Reef Authority in support of the Lifetime of Greatness campaign – alongside the hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and families also part of the Reef Guardian School program – to back the Reef’s nomination for the United Nations Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award.?️

The campaign is part of the Lifetime of Greatness Project, developed by Tourism Tropical North Queensland in collaboration with the Reef Authority, Reef Guardian Councils, Traditional Owners, Master Reef Guides, and the tourism industry. Already, it has reached over five billion people and attracted more than 1.3 million supporters worldwide! ?

If successful, the Reef would become the first living entity (and non-human!) recipient of the highest environmental honour awarded by the United Nations Environment Programme – this would be history made! ?

Join us in backing a lifetime of greatness: https://alifetimeofgreatness.com/#supporter

Two years ago, Energy Queensland teamed up with TAFE Queensland to trial a pre-apprenticeship cadetship program at selected regional and non-metropolitan depots for students heading into Years 11 or 12.

The response was overwhelming, and in 2024 the program was expanded to more regional areas.

The results are already speaking for themselves, as 3 of the 2024 are now apprentices with Energy Queensland, proving that cadetships are a great gateway to a career in the energy industry. Of our 2025 cadets, more than 25 are in the final stage of our recruitment process for the 2026 apprenticeships intake.

And now, we’re searching for the next bunch of talented high school seniors to take up cadetships in 2026. Applications open this Monday (find more info here) and close 26 September 2025.

Cadets complete a Certificate II in Electrotechnology, gain hands-on experience at our depots, and receive mentoring from our fantastic local teams. They also train in general construction, CPR and first aid.

2026 program applications will be open 9am Monday 1 September 2025 and close 9am Monday 22 September 2025.

You can find more information about this opportunity, how it works, eligibility and the application process on TAFE Queensland by clicking here