01 Jun 2022

As the world around us evolves and becomes more diverse and inclusive, the resources sector reaps the benefits. The mining industry, a fundamental part of the resources sector, has been undergoing massive change and growth in recent years. For example, site managers, HR professionals and mining executives can now take online courses all about recognising diversity and inclusion as opportunities for positive change. This means more and more employees in mining are clued up on overcoming unconscious biases and creating structural change, cultivating a safe and supportive work environment for everyone. As a result, we’ve seen a rise in women in mining, as they feel more supported and encouraged to pursue a career in the industry. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons women are keen to dig into the mining industry.

Opportunities

There are endless opportunities for women in all kinds of roles in the mining industry, from being in the thick of it on-site and driving locomotives to sitting in the office doing important admin work. With a close-knit community vibe and the security of a future-proof career - which is a mainstay of the Australian economy - it’s no surprise that women are keen to see what all the fuss is about!

Qualifications

Another reason women are applying for jobs within the mining industry is because you don’t need to specifically study mining to be a part of it. Whether you’ve got a degree or a VET qualification, there are roles for women with all sorts of qualifications and experience to get stuck into. In fact, a whole range of degrees and VET qualifications are relevant and incredibly useful in different areas of mining. Like Tara’s degree, for example. Tara works for Rio Tinto as a finance graduate, and is a valuable part of her team in their iron ore division. Tara studied a bachelor of economics and a bachelor or commerce with a major in finance, and Tara stressed, “don’t let people tell you you need to study mining to go into the resources sector - you definitely don’t”.

Next Steps

As you can see, there are a number of jobs and lots of different ways to get into the mining industry, from economics to admin and everything in between, and women are more and more prevalent in an increasingly inclusive industry. If you fancy a deeper look at what the mining industry has to offer, jobs available and to see whether it’s for you, check out our brand new academy Resourcefulness, which has all the info you need.