Youth Week is officially underway, running from April 10-17, with more than 70 community events and activities to be held across Western Australia.
Youth Minister Hannah Beazley says this week is an important opportunity to amplify young people’s voices across the state and recognise how they shape communities.
“With young people making up nearly 20% of Western Australia’s population, the Cook Labor Government is committed to empowering them to share their unique perspectives and ideas and get involved in decision-making,” Beazley says.
With the evident skills shortage the Australian mining industry is experiencing, Mining.com.au previously found that the sector is experiencing a lack of awareness and knowledge among younger generations.
In February 2025, a survey from the Australian Geoscience Council and Fiftyfive5 found 67% of respondents were unaware that mineral processing is an area of study.
As such, the mining industry is striving to take on a more educational role for younger generations, such as mining giant Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) which has several education-based initiatives.
The initiatives provide schools, parents, and students with relevant information, opportunities, and guidance that empowers them to make informed decisions about their career pathways into mining.
For Youth Week, festivities are officially launched in the City of Karratha, with a concert featuring performances, as well as young local performers and a market showcasing young creators.
Karratha is a hub for the mining industry being home to multi-national corporations such as Citic Pacific Mining, Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO), and BHP (ASX:BHP).
The region is known for iron ore production, in which Western Australia alone produced 860.38 million tonnes in 2023, as reported by the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
Citic Pacific Mining owns and operates the Sino Iron Project, which is the largest magnetite mining and processing operation in Australia.
In 2018, Sino, located 100km southwest of Karratha, produced and shipped more than 19 million tonnes of magnetite concentrate.
In conjunction, the City of Karratha has numerous emerging industries that are also gaining momentum gold, lithium, zinc and cobalt projects which are currently being developed across the Pilbara.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Western Australian Government
