Young women join forces with industry mentors to supercharge their careers
Click here for photos of the launch
Twenty Year 12 female students with an eye on a career in Queensland’s high-tech mining and energy sector gathered in Brisbane today for the launch of a unique mentoring program. The Girls In Resources Leadership Skills (GIRLS) Mentoring Program connects each student with an experienced industry professional for six months of support and guidance on future career options as they complete their final year of school. This year’s participants are from the following SEQ and regional schools;
The program, now in its sixth year, is an initiative of the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), which is the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council, and Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ). Last year, almost 90 per cent of the students involved in the program either got a job in the resources sector when they finished Year 12 or commenced a study or training pathway to a resources career. QRC Chief Executive Officer Janette Hewson said the GIRLS Mentoring Program was an opportunity for students to learn about the different careers available in the resources sector from people with years of experience in the industry.
QRC Skills, Education and Diversity Policy Director Katrina-Lee Jones said the program was again oversubscribed this year, reflecting young women’s growing interest in a rewarding and well-paid career in the minerals and energy industry. She said this year’s group was selected from QMEA partner schools across Queensland based on their potential leadership skills and passion to be involved in the future of the resources sector. This year’s GIRLS mentoring program was made possible with the generous support of Platinum Sponsor BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and other sponsors including ConocoPhillips and Jellinbah (Gold sponsors); Glencore Technology, Rio Tinto, Thiess and Whitehaven Coal (Silver sponsors); and Coronado Global, Fitzroy Coal Management, Idemitsu Australia, Rio Tinto and South 32 (Bronze sponsors). |