The Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy in collaboration with Xstrata offers a free education camp for high school students, as reported on HC Online. Due to the program and the outlook on a well-paid job, many students skip university and start working at the mine after high school.
The purpose [of the camp] is to translate the mining experience to school aged kids. “We wanted to give them the opportunity to see what it’s like outside the academic stuff, a real hands on type experience,” HR manager at Xstrata Copper, Dick Kostowski told ABC Rural.
Yet the purpose of the camp is by no means just good corporate social responsibility and education. The camp is very much part of the recruitment strategy, and has reportedly given the company valuable access to an untapped talent market. “I think we’re certainly getting access to a greater proportion of [talent] due to the success and hard work that people put into these programs,” Kostowski said.
Comments
Jane Clements
Kudos to the organizers of this program! We put too much emphasis on “getting an education” that a lot of kids go into the workplace without any real idea of what it’s like.