Taking their experience and turning it into industry lessons, women across BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) have again participated in the Girls in Resources Life Skills (GIRLS) Mentoring Program, an annual initiative delivered by the Queensland Resources Council’s Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) and Women in Mining and Resources Queensland.
BMA has been involved with the GIRLS Mentoring Program since its inception and seen the reach the program has in terms of boosting the number of female high school graduates interested in pursuing a career in the resources sector or entering into STEM-related careers.
The program has resulted in several of the student mentees joining BHP/BMA.
The six-month program sets up student mentees for careers in the resources sector by matching them with industry mentors, including seven team members from BHP and BMA.
“It is very rewarding to see these passionate and aspiring young women achieve their goals and to help make them informed decisions about their own tertiary education or training pathways,” Lauren Molloy-Roberts, BMA’s head of performance and business development said in the statement.
“With the number of applications from young women wanting to take part increasing each year since it started in 2019, the GIRLS Mentoring Program has become a well-established initiative that will help drive the future of the resources sector,” she said.
The mentoring program marks its fifth year of connecting experienced women in resources with female students who want to know more about career opportunities in the sector.
“This mentoring program plays an essential role in the industry’s efforts to attract more young females into the resources and energy, which is steadily increasing its female participation rate with a target of 30% by 2026,” QRC director of skills, education and diversity Katrina-Lee Jones said.
The academy encourages a talent pipeline of employees into vocational and professional careers, with a focus on female and Indigenous participation. The QMEA currently engages with over 90 schools and is a partnership between the QRC and the Queensland government under its Gateway to Industry Schools program.