Young women from across the state celebrated the completion of the Queensland Resources Council’s (QRC) six-month Girls in Resources Leadership Skills (GIRLS) mentoring program yesterday.
The mentoring program, involving 20 Year 12 students, connected them with experienced female mentors who work in the resources industry.
The GIRLS program is delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), in partnership with Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ).
Wavell State High School student Charlotte Congram says she did the program to connect with more girls who were interested in STEM and to obtain more knowledge about working in the industry.
“I am keen to study engineering and maths next year and having a mentor who is experienced in these fields through her role at BHP (ASX:BHP) has motivated me to pursue a career as a mining engineer,” Congram says.
BHP Mitsubishi Alliance is the platinum sponsor for the GIRLS program and has been a supporter since its inception six years ago.
BMA’s Head of Human Resources Tamara Barden says the program connects the students with a mentor who can help guide them as they make decisions about their tertiary and training.
“This is about more than financial sponsorship, many of our people have been involved in the program as students and then returned to be a mentor to others, which is a testimony to its success,” Barden says.
“It is a highly respected program which is having an impact, with four out of five participants going on to have a professional or trades career in the resources industry.”
The QRC says over 80% of the previous participants in the mentoring program have ended up taking a professional or trade career in the resources sector.
WIMARQ Co-Chair Sally Rayner says there is an abundance of career opportunities for women interested in the resources sector, and this mentoring program boosts their confidence to pursue their dreams.
“Initiatives like the GIRLS mentoring program play a crucial role in attracting talented young women to be a part of our resources’ future, which helps create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment,” Rayner says.
Speaking to Mining.com.au for International Youth Day, QRC Policy Director Skills, Education, and Diversity Katrina-Lee Jones says there is an urgency for engaging younger generations into the resources sector.
“We need resources for renewables and sustainable development. And we can’t get there without young people and their ideas and their willingness to be able to work with us to reach net zero,” Jones says.
CEO Janette Hewson says this is the sixth year the program has run and it has had a positive impact on young women who have been through the program, and the resources industry.
“Having a mentor in the resources sector, while completing your year 12 studies, is invaluable and will help the students as they make decisions about their career pathway,” Hewson says.
“We need the enthusiasm and innovation of young people to help us on that journey.”
The QRC is Queensand’s peak body for coal, metal, and gas explorers, producers, and suppliers across the resources sector. The resources sector contributes one in every four dollars to the state economy, supports one in six jobs, supports 16,000 businesses and contributes to more than 1,400 community organisations.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Queensland Resources Council
