The Gold Industry Group (GIG) showcased its initiatives centred around education and developing talent pathways to more than 430 Year 10 students from across 15 schools from Perth and Peel regions at this year’s Get Into Resources (GIR), as a platinum sponsor of the event held at North Metropolitan TAFE in Perth.
Supported by WA Minister for Mines and Petroleum Bill Johnston, who welcomed students on the second day and echoed just how vital the resources industry is to the State and Australia, the event sparked career interest in the resources sector by engaging high school students and bringing them together with people employed in the industry.
Across the three days, the students joined a host of university students and industry professionals including surveyors, building design specialists, fluid dynamics specialists, safety training and emergency response specialists to discover what the resources industry has to offer through a host of interactive workshops, in-class exercises and one-on-one conversations.
The daily program consisted of up to 14 sessions across Vocational Education Training (VET) and Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) pathways, including ‘Underground Mining’ by Westgold Resources, ‘Mines Rescue’ by Northern Star Resources and an interactive resources quiz.
The GIG’s booth featured its employment initiative through the Gold Jobs challenge, designed to help students discover suitable roles. The activation was popular among students who were mostly unaware of the variety of positions available in the gold industry and their required qualifications.
The free National Gold Education Program was also showcased featuring the exclusive Gold Resources Kits and highlighting the interactive Gold Class Sessions, attracting strong interest from teachers.
The GIR team received excellent feedback from students who shared what they’d learnt over the three-day expo and how much they appreciated the experience.
“I originally didn’t understand how mining worked and I had less interest, however GIR has proved practicality and shown a better side to these careers!”
“Helped me understand that the opportunities are endless, and gender isn’t a factor.”
“There are more jobs than I thought and it’s a lot more hands-on which is good.”
“My perception has changed very much! [GIR] has provided very good activities that made me very interested, and I really want to pursue a career in this field.”
Get Into Resources Committee Chair and Event Manager Jade Singleton was humbled by the number of volunteers and sponsors that contributed to making the event a great success year after year.
“This is Get Into Resources 10th year! The Get into Resources program has been showcasing the many options for both VET and ATAR pathways into the resources industry and has been supported by more than 140 industry professionals and attended by more than 2,500 students to date,” said Ms Singleton.
The event was supported by GIG members including St Barbara Limited and Westgold Resources, with GIG education partner Australian Earth Science Education (AusEarthEd) as one of the founding partners.
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