The Gold Industry Group (GIG) celebrated the first year of its National Gold Education Program by celebrating the important contribution of Gold Class Facilitators in inspiring the next generation of industry leaders through the delivery of Gold Class Sessions at its inaugural Gold Class Awards.
Gold Class Facilitator of Term 1 2021 - Samantha Ware, Bellevue Gold Limited
The Gold Class Awards were presented at the GIG’s Industry Sundowner in May, as GIG Chair and Gold Fields Vice President of Legal and Compliance Kelly Carter expressed the far-reaching impact of the Program.
“This is the best possible opportunity to engage both kids and their teachers, by letting your staff showcase our sector and the opportunities available,” Ms Carter emphasised.
Gold Class Facilitator of Term 4 2020 - Steven Hulme, Gold Road Resources
In its first year, GIG members AngloGold Ashanti Australia, Bellevue Gold Limited, Gold Fields, Gold Road Resources and Northern Star Resources delivered 29 Gold Class Sessions, educating more than 800 students at 13 schools across Perth, Kalgoorlie, Kambalda and Norseman.
Minister for Mines and Petroleum the Honourable Bill Johnston MLA presented the awards to the passionate workers who had dedicated their time to delivering the most Gold Class Sessions to primary and secondary students.
Congratulations to our outstanding inaugural Gold Class Award winners:
Company of the Year 2020 - Gold Fields (award accepted by Stuart Mathews)
Gold Class Facilitator of Term 3 2020 - Annika Turnbull, Gold Fields
Gold Class Facilitator of Term 4 2020 - Steven Hulme, Gold Road Resources
Gold Class Facilitator of Term 1 2021 - Samantha Ware and Alexandra Forster, Bellevue Gold Limited
Company of the Year 2020 – Gold Fields
Gold Fields received the award for Company of the Year, with the highest number of active facilitators and the most sessions delivered by a company.
Gold Road Resources Principal Corporate Development Officer and Gold Class Award winner Steven Hulme delivered gold sessions to more than 180 students, including his old high school. Steven expressed his gratitude to both the GIG and Gold Road Resources for allowing him the time and opportunity to give back to the industry in a post on LinkedIn.
“This award is really a testament to the efforts of others such as Duncan Hughes for piloting the program with me at Mercedes College. If it wasn’t for his proactive nature with stepping out into the unknown, coupled with the positive and persistent energy of others such as Stuart Jenner, Jessica Jones, and Nicole Reweti, then I don’t think I would’ve had this exciting opportunity,” Mr Hulme said.
“Giving back, what’s that really mean? For me, it’s about making a difference, and the sessions are great fun and it’s really rewarding being able to talk to future young leaders about the gold industry and share some of that passion.”
“This opportunity made me realise how impactful and important it really is for our industry to educate the aspiring youth about mining,” he wrote.
After one of Mr Hulme’s sessions to a year 8 class, six students approached him and shared: “Mr Hulme, thank you for coming to see us today. We all want to be mine engineers and have never had anyone come talk to us about where to go or what to do for a career. Thank you, it was so insightful.”
In conclusion, Mr Hulme’s call to action was simple.
“I challenge all of you, all you future Gold Facilitators to give it a go.”
Ms Carter concluded the awards ceremony by encouraging any members not yet involved to take an active role in the program and become a Gold Class Facilitator.
“It is such a rewarding experience. I was blown away by the response of the students, how engaged they were in the STEM hands-on activities and how many questions they had about our industry,” she explained.
The Gold Industry Group’s National Gold Education Program is inspiring the future leaders of Australia’s gold industry and is proudly supported by its members.