ENGINEERS of the future were given the chance to prove their skills and talents this week when they were given the challenge to find the best way to transport minerals to the Abbot Point Coal Terminal.

As part of an event run by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), 30 Bowen State High School students were given the opportunity to take a customised tour of the port facilities, which is Australia's most northern coal export port.

Collinsville students will take part in a Pit to Port program at Bowen.

It's the first time this event has been conducted for Collinsville and Bowen students, which  Katrina Lee Jones, director of skills, education and diversity at the Queensland Resources Council said will help them in potential future careers.

"These experiences help prepare our students for future skills required in our sector around optimised planning and data collection and analysis," she said.

Abbot Point Operations CEO, Dwayne Freeman, said it was a great opportunity for students to see the connection between their schoolwork and 'the real world.'

"Students will give a presentation on their work and suggest improvements to the process," he said.

"We're really looking forward to seeing what they come up with. I know our staff are looking forward to mentoring the students for the day and helping them see the connection between their school work and real-world tasks."

"We're very excited to be part of this valuable workshop, which also helps to demonstrate the many different careers and skills needed in our resources sector."

The QMEA is a partnership between the Queensland Resources Council and the Queensland Government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program. It has 74 schools throughout Queensland.