Celebrating intergenerational workforces this Father’s Day

There are very few industries and workplaces that can say there are several father/child pairs working together, but Glencore is one of them!

Across many of our sites, we have several father/son and father/daughter duos (and trios!) who work together, contributing to a strong, thriving intergenerational workforce.

To celebrate Father’s Day, we took the opportunity to speak with some of these pairs to celebrate their experiences working together on a mine site.

Dave and Jack

Since 2023, Dave and Jack have been working together at our United Wambo Joint Venture (UWJV), with Dave serving as a Maintenance Training Officer and Jack as an Operational Technology Technician. 

When Jack made the leap into the mining industry, he found comfort in knowing his dad was there to guide him through the transition. 

“Dad’s been in the industry for almost 20 years, so when I took the leap having Dad there to help learn all the written rules and unwritten customs on-site was invaluable.”

Reflecting on his father's guidance, Jack added, “The best advice he gave me was to just be myself. I was obviously nervous to join a whole new world of people here, but he assured me that if I just be my normal self, then I would be just fine. And he must've been onto something because I feel like I've made a lot of great friends here onsite since starting.”

For Dave, having the opportunity to spend a bit of extra time together in the crib room makes coming to work special.

“Aside from getting to spend the additional time together, I love seeing him interact with all his fellow workers, how well he gets along with everybody and how well-liked he is by his peers,” Dave said.

When asked about how the industry has changed since he began, Dave reflected, “I can say safety has certainly come along way. I may not have recommended the industry to Jack 20 years ago, but I’m more than happy he’s in the industry now, and especially because he’s working with me.”

John and Dana

Dana is a second-year Apprentice at Oaky Creek, working alongside her father, John, who is a Development Process Engineer. Before Dana started her journey at Oaky Creek, John felt a mix of excitement and anxiety about how she would adjust to the underground environment.

To ease his concerns, he organized a tour of the site before she began her Apprenticeship, but it turned out he didn’t need to worry.

“Dana was unphased and just asked endless questions about how things worked and why we did things the way we did,” John said.

“That’s not much different to the child she was, always full of questions and carrying a healthy thirst for answers.”

This first tour of the site gave Dana the determination to succeed in her role. “I know Dad mentioned I asked a lot of questions. But seeing him in that environment made me proud of him, and gave me a determination to succeed in the same environment,” Dana said.

Since beginning at Oaky Creek in January 2024, Dana has enjoyed getting to see her dad most days – even if they don’t work side by side.

“My favourite part would be seeing him every morning at pre-start, it makes the day so much better.”

With 23 years of mining experience, John has witnessed numerous changes in safety management and process - changes he hopes will continue positively as Dana progresses in her career.

“I feel a sense of pride when I see my daughter on-site; it’s a continual reminder of the dedication she showed and the hard work she put in, and still puts in daily, to be where she is,” John expressed.

“Working alongside Dana has shown me resilience. Being a young female in the industry presents challenges for her that I haven’t faced myself. I now have a clearer vision on the importance of promoting a positive and inclusive culture for all young women who enter a mine site.”

Graham, Tom and Ben

For Operator/Trainer Assessor, Graham every workday is a family affair, with both of his sons, Ben and Tom working as Operators at UWJV.

“It’s nice having them so close; I get to build memories with my boys that they’ll have for a lifetime,” Graham said.

Tom echoed his dad’s thoughts, saying, “It’s calming knowing I have family there to support me, no matter what and they have my back,” Tom said.

“I grew up hearing stories from Dad about the industry, and now it’s super cool getting to experience some of those things myself – with Dad and Tom,” Ben added.

When asked about some of their favourite memories working together Graham, Tom, and Ben all said the few times they’ve gotten to transport loads together, delivering materials to their dad to help build roads on site was top of mind.

“I remember when I first started, and I was still with my trainer, and my brother and I were dumping at the same time for my dad. I thought that it was so cool to be in that moment with my family and the start of my career,” Tom said.

Shane and Mia

Shane and Mia are both Operators at UWJV and have been working alongside each other since January 2023.

Their time together on-site allows them to catch up more frequently and discover shared interests while working. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of focusing on safety so they can both go home to their families at the end of the day.

Shane has been a source of wisdom for Mia in the industry, and witnessing his work-life balance growing up was a motivating factor for joining the industry.

“Dad has always told me how important it is to have confidence and speak up when I might need help – from him, supervisors or my workmates,” Mia said.

“I never realised how important it was to not slam the garage door every time I used it when Dad was on night shift – but now I totally understand!”

Shane’s pride is clear when he reflects on Mia's journey. “I’m really proud of the way she has taken on the role and lifestyle and the way she has set up her future within the industry,” Shane said.

“There are so many opportunities in the industry and if you work hard, you can do anything you want to do.”