Taking their experience and turning it into valuable industry lessons, women across BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) have once again taken part 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 (WIMARQ).

At BMA, we have been involved with the GIRLS Mentoring Program since its inception, and have seen the powerful reach the program has in terms of boosting the number of female school leavers interested in pursuing a career in the resources sector or entering into STEM-related careers.

BMA’s close engagement with the program has been a big success, with a number of the student mentees joining the BHP/BMA family as a result of their mentoring experience.

The six-month program sets up student mentees for rewarding careers in the resources sector by matching them with industry mentors, including seven talented team members from BHP and BMA.

Lauren Molloy-Roberts, BMA’s Head of Performance and Business Development, said she was proud to support the GIRLS Mentoring Program, which provides such a great opportunity for the students at a pivotal time in their schooling journey.

“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 said.

“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.”

The mentoring program is celebrating its fifth year of connecting experienced women in resources with female students who want to know more about career opportunities in the sector.

QRC Director of Skills, Education and Diversity, Ms Katrina-Lee Jones said the GIRLS Mentoring Program has gone from strength to strength since in the five years since it began.

“We are very proud of the role the program has played in encouraging and supporting female students who are interested in pursuing careers in the Queensland resources sector,” Ms Jones said.

“This group of female students from QMEA-associated schools have kick-started their way to a rewarding career in resources as well as boosted their life skills like networking, communication, and confidence.

“Over the past six months, they’ve have been guided and inspired during regular meetings with their individually-matched, female industry mentors who have imparted invaluable professional and personal advice,” Ms Jones said.

“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 per cent by 2026.

“By working with successful role models from various specialties across the industry, these students have gained first-hand insight into the different exciting and rewarding career opportunities on offer and I am confident they’ll become the Queensland resources sector’s next leaders and innovators.”

QRC Chief Executive, Mr Ian Macfarlane praised the GIRLS Mentoring Program, saying it is helping young females create valuable and lasting relationships while learning about the increasing diversity of roles and professions on offer in the resources sector.

“Women currently make up 22 per cent of the resources and energy sector’s workforce, which is an impressive increase of more than 50 per cent in the past seven years and the result of deliberate and strategic targets and actions by companies across our industry,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“I congratulate all participants in this year’s GIRLS Mentoring Program and particularly the women who have volunteered their time to support and guide the students.

“Our industry continues to go from strength to strength in the diversity and inclusion space, and this program would not be the success it is without our generous platinum sponsor BHP/BMA, and further support from ConocoPhillips, Coronado, Rio Tinto, Fitzroy, Idemitsu, Jellinbah Group and South32.”

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.

It is critically important to continue to encourage students of all ages to engage with STEM subjects – as this will equip the future workforce with the knowledge, skills and training in preparation for jobs of the future in our sector and other industries.