Local students will ditch their school shoes for safety boots today when they tour South32’s Cannington Mine, the first such tour conducted at the operation.

About 15 students from Cloncurry State School P-12 will see first-hand what it’s like to live and work on site and learn about the wide range of careers available at resources sector operations close to their homes.

“We’re really looking forward to showing the students around the site, the scale of which never fails to impress visitors young or old,” said South32’s Vice President Operations at Cannington Rob Jackson.

“It’s also pleasing to see a number of female students on the tour,” said Mr Jackson who was named the Queensland Resources Council’s 2019 Gender Diversity Champion and is a finalist in the Women in Resources National Awards, to be announced later this month.

“South32 is committed to creating diverse workplaces and we have a strong commitment to increasing the proportion of females, not just here at Cannington but across our business.

“We need to encourage females to think of the resources sector as an exciting and rewarding career option.

“It’s really important that students understand that we need all kinds of people to run a mine, from operators to accountants, from engineers to boilermakers, from geologists to lab technicians.

“The students will see the processing plant, maintenance workshops, mining surface operations and enjoy morning tea at the village mine village and get a taste of village life,” he said.

“By talking to our people, they’ll also get an understanding of what they need to do at school to secure a pathway into their chosen career.”

“Our students really benefit from seeing how their classroom work can relate to the real world,” said Cloncurry State School P-12 Principal Christine Norton.

“These experiences can really help to inspire them to set goals for their futures and understand the importance of doing well in school.”