Year 11 student Ella Menigoz swapped the traditional summer school holiday activities involving sun, sand and surf for a hard hat, high vis and coal, when she attended the ARISE Oresome Engineering Camp in December.
The camp is facilitated by Australian Resources Industry Skills and Education (ARISE) and supported by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA).
Ella said the opportunity to go behind the scenes at two coal mines, experiencing firsthand the day-to-day operations of the resources sector, opened her eyes to the range of career possibilities in the mining industry.
“The week-long camp kicked off at BMA’s Caval Ridge Mine in Moranbah where I worked closely with staff, including St Margaret’s Old Girl Ashley McCarthy-Griffiths (’12) as well as mining engineers, project engineers, site supervisors, safety advisors, project managers, various machinery operators, and many other experts and professionals who were on-site.
“We then headed to Hay Point Coal Terminal, the metallurgical coal loading terminal for the nine Bowen Basin mines in Queensland, where we met with terminal managers, electricians and mechanical project engineers and witnessed the ins and outs of coal transportation and exportation.
“We also toured the Resources Centre of Excellence in Mackay and had underground mining experts show us the underground mine simulator, which was really cool because it allowed us to safely experience what it was like underground,” Ella said.
Ella also worked in a group with other students to formulate a solution to a real-world industry project taking in supply chain aspects “from pit to port”, which she and her fellow group members then presented to the BMA leadership team at the end of the camp.
“Our project task involved devising a strategy and processes to deliver a new product to market. We investigated blending and pricing strategies while also evaluating the logistics involved in fulfilling customer orders,” Ella said.
This year Ella is studying Mathematical Methods, Specialist Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Digital Solutions and English, and while she is not entirely sure what she would like to study when she graduates, she is certain of pursuing a STEM pathway.
For Ella, attending the camp has helped her identify the necessary skills to thrive in a STEM field and placed her in a position to make informed decisions about her future study and career options.
“It was interesting to understand how the mining industry works and to see what it might be like to live and work in Central Queensland,” Ella said.
“It was also valuable to make connections with other students from all over Queensland and St Margaret’s Old Girls as part of the experience. Who knows – I might even end up studying or working with some of them in the future!” Ella said.
Paying it forward
L to R: St Margaret’s Old Girl Ashley McCarthy-Griffiths (’12), Year 11 student Ella Menigoz and Old Girl Madeleine Greene (’13)
For St Margaret’s Old Girl Ashley McCarthy Griffiths (’12), it was a lovely surprise to come across Ella when she was hosting the ARISE site tour at Caval Ridge Mine.
Ashley who is an Improvement Engineer at BHP as well as the President of not-for-profit organisation Power of Engineering whose main aim is to build a diverse talent pipeline across Australia, is passionate about providing opportunities to breakdown the stereotypes associated with engineering for students to be able to make an informed decision about whether or not a career in engineering is for them.
“If you had told me when I was at school I would be an engineer working on a mine site in central Queensland, I would not have believed you for a second. Engineering is a career with plenty of associated stereotypes, but in reality, you can have a very creative and rewarding career making a positive impact in communities.
“The ARISE program offers students the opportunity to step outside the classroom and experience what it is like to work on a mine site. Having students on site, meeting an array of people with different career journeys helps transform their thinking and illustrates what is possible in a mining career. When the students visited BMA's Caval Ridge mine and Hay Point Coal Terminal, students worked on a project whereby they have to apply their knowledge and skills to solve a current challenge faced in industry. From pit to port, students worked to understand the supply chain, different career roles and exciting challenges the industry face, all with hope of empowering them with information to consider a career in Mining,” said Ashley.
Ashley said she hoped experiences such as the ARISE camp helped alleviate the overwhelm of choosing a career option straight after school for students.
“These experiences help showcase what career roles can look like day to day and the flexibility associated with careers. My hope is students walk away empowered to make a decision if a career in Mining is something that interests them or not,” Ashley said.