28 June 2021
More than 400 secondary students from across WA descended on North Metropolitan TAFE’s (NMTAFE) Perth campus from 23-25 June for the annual Get into Resources event to learn about some of the 150 different careers in the resources sector.
Students from 15 regional and metropolitan schools attended the unique careers event to interact with 40 industry professionals and participate in activities related to virtual reality, surveying (drones), geology interpretation, copper extraction, emergency response rescue and explosive demonstrations.
NMTAFE has hosted Get Into Resources at its Perth campus, home to its underground CUT mine, since its inception 10 years ago. By the end of the 2021 event, Get Into Resources will have welcomed and inspired more than 3,500 students.
“Almost 80% of the current mining workforce entered the sector from secondary school or via a TAFE qualification. So it is critical that we keep inspiring young people with the range of courses that will give them the skills they need to fill the diverse job opportunities this exciting industry provides,” said NMTAFE Managing Director Michelle Hoad.
Minister for Mines, Hon Bill Johnston, attended the event and delivered a welcome address, highlighting the importance of the resources sector to the WA economy.
Run by a not-for-profit committee, Get Into Resources was founded by Meryl Jones, a veteran geologist of 25 years, who wanted to show her then Year 10 son what employment opportunities were on offer across all sectors of the resource industry.
The 2021 event is sponsored by Rio Tinto; BHP; Sandfire; St Barbara Ltd, Wood, Gold Industry Group, Mineral Resources, Chamber of Minerals & Energy of WA, Westgold Resources Limited, Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Australian Institute of Geoscientists, Newmont Australia, Katie-Jeyn Romeyn International, Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, SKF and Digirock Exploration Geologists.
For more information on related courses, check out our mining and engineering page.
For more on the Get into Resources event see their website: