Girls in Mining tour
It was exciting to hear that South32 Worsley Alumina recently hosted a group of 23 students from 13 different high schools, as part of a Girls Focus on Mining program coordinated by Curtin University’s WA School of Mines.
The visit was scheduled over 12 hours to simulate a typical resources sector working day. The girls and their mentors toured the mine and the refinery, following the Bayer process and finishing with alumina wagons being loaded ready to transport to port. The group also heard from employees from the Worsley laboratory, process, chemical and mechanical engineering, capital projects and visualisation and data teams.
Girls Focus on Mining aims to introduce young women to career options in the mining industry and highlighting the fact there is a job to suit everyone.
The Worsley tour builds on the success of the Girls Focus on Mining tour in the Goldfields in January, supported by Super Pit co-owner Saracen Mineral Holdings and Curtin University’s WA School of Mines. As part of the camp, 48 students from Year 10, 11 and 12 from across WA spent part of their school holidays building on their existing interest in science, engineering and the mining sector.
Collaboration grows in the South West
A group of South West members have been meeting regularly to formulate ideas for a collaborative community development project that will be meaningful to the communities across the South West and Peel regions, but which also promotes the benefits of the sector. What started with four member companies at the first meeting in October 2020, grew to a group to 10 at a meeting held on 3 February – including Talison, Tronox, South32, Alcoa, GHD, Doral, Simcoa, Albemarle, Newmont and Iluka.
The February meeting, held remotely during the Covid-19 lockdown, included a presentation from Brian Hayes, Ranger Coordinator for Chevron, about the Sea Ranger program which employs five rangers to work on conservation and land management projects in our State’s north. Brian spoke with pride about the rangers’ work to monitor the endangered turtle population in Onslow.
The group also heard from Jai Wilson from the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, who spoke about the progress of the South West Settlement and potential future opportunities for collaboration including an Aboriginal ranger program.
CME’s Manager of Workforce Capability, Susan Cull, shared her insights into various education and training programs in the regions including the Goldfields Education Mining Industry Alliance (GEMIA) and the Inspiring Girls program for students in Years 10,11 and 12.
CME welcomes participation by all South West members at the next meeting, to be held on 2 March at 12.45pm in the administration building at the South Regional TAFE in Bunbury. This will follow the South West Regional Council meeting, which will include a presentation from TAFE about meeting the training needs of the sector and a tour of the trade training centre.
